Whatever Happened to Eric and Donna?
by the13thgraduate
Summary: The residents of Point Place remember the classic boy-next-door/ girl-next-door teenage romance that was Eric Forman and Donna Pinciotti. So does Lil Jackie/ Colette. But as she sets out, looking for answers of the two, she learns the hard way that even innocence must grow up sometime.
1. Jackie meets Jackie

**I do not own That '70s Show.**

**Not even Colette. Actually, the character of Colette is a one time character from the original show. I think it was Season 6 (maybe 5) where Jackie was the "Big Sister" for this little girl. Now, I'm pretty sure her name is Colette. Sorry if I jumbled that up. But, I just decided to pick her because she was pretty young in that episode and this story takes place in 1984. So, I figured she'd be a rebel-teen by now. In my opinion, That '70s Show works a little cleaner with some young blood in there, stirring things up. Or, at the very least, being the excuse ****_to_**** stir things up. Let me know what you think and I'll see if I could another chapter up soon. **

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**Whatever Happened to Eric and Donna? **

**CH1. Jackie meets Jackie**

Colette Ripley sat by herself in a booth at the HUB. Earlier her and her friends were laughing, messing around and if their parents ever got wise and asked what they were doing, they'd all answer the same way- "We were studying!" But now her friends had filed out of the HUB, one by one they all had gone home.

She looked around the HUB attentively, admiringly. This place had been open since 1954, originally titled "The Pub" by an Irish family who owned it. That didn't last long though, in '65 Freddy and Frank Hoffman came back from the wars in Vietnam and Korea and bought the place and renamed it. Instead of selling beer to old ground kissers, they decided to make it more of a malt, hamburger and teenage hangout because, according to Freddy at least, they saw teens as "the wave, man. The customers. That's what the modern teen is, man and those who don't recognize it don't get the dough."

Yeah, she knew all this because she had to do a paper on historical sites in Point Place. Her History teacher was hoping she would do the museum or the new art gallery that opened up and do a paper on how it "could" be Point Place's next tourist attraction. Pft, she'd rather do the HUB. Her teacher was sourly disappointed, especially since she saw Colette as "one of the brightest minds Point Place has ever produced!" But Colette was adamant, if she was gonna do a paper about some soggy, rundown building in this crappy town whose only tourists were the travelers who got lost goin' to some place better, she was picking the HUB. Besides, she had an argument- after 30 years in business, it was closing.

So, she sat in her booth, compiling her notes for her paper. She was quiet, keeping to herself and didn't even care that it was 8:56 PM. Her mother was always out at all odd hours; working to support her five kids and she never had a father. And Colette, the middle child, was going through that point in every teenage girl's life where she couldn't get along with her mother at all. She'd rather stay at the HUB until it closed, which was 10:00 PM, by the way.

"Um, excuse me, what do you mean by _'we don't sell that here'_? This is a restaurant, kind of, so why don't you sell salads? What's your excuse? Too cheap?"

That high pitched remark clawed itself into Colette's eardrums. She looked up, scrunching her face in the process. Who the hell was this woman who dragged her out of her 'school zone' mode? The reason she liked the HUB since she was a little girl was because not that many people came here, not like in the '70s anyways. Well, now that she thought about it, maybe that's why it was closing.

The man behind the counter groaned at the brunette woman, "Well missy, if you want a salad so badly, may I suggest walking yer pretty 'lil ass outside and eating some grass with the rest of the cows?"

Colette smirked. Besides herself, the woman was the only customer and she wasn't bad looking at all. She may have been a little short compared to the other women of Point Place, but she was thin, shapely, and the back of her head looked alright. In fact, her hair was so well done that Colette wouldn't have been surprised if the woman was pretty looking. Too bad she was stuck up. If High School taught Colette anything was that the prettiest girls with the best clothes were always bitches. Always. There was not one single exception.

The woman shrieked, "Cows? Okay, you are definitely hitting a little too low. Both of us here know that I am not chunky. Believe me, I've seen some big girls in my time." And then the woman paused, thinking aloud, "Even my best friend from High School was pretty big boned." She then smirked, "You should've seen her skinny, dorky boyfriend. He was way too small for her. They looked so weird together." And then her smirk faded away, "They were actually a good couple. Huh…"

The man rolled his eyes. He fixed his grease stained apron, completely ignoring the woman, "Yeah, yeah. High School's over, chicky. Build a bridge and get over it."

"Well! I've never!" The woman huffed, insulted. She turned on her heel ready to make a dramatic exit while she melodramatically fumed, "Maybe your poor customer service and out of date menus is why you people are going out of business! And you know what? I don't care! Like you said- High School's over!"

Colette dropped her pen. She was staring at the altercation between the two; she completely forgot she was holding it. The woman was so riled up she turned toward Colette, snapping, "What're you look-"

Colette was just a regular teenager with messy, long brown hair, an overgrown sweater, who wore tattered blue jeans and red sneakers. She was no threat.

The woman caught herself, quickly apologizing to Colette, "Oh. I'm so sorry! I just…it's been a really bad week."

She made her way over to Colette, gripping her purse strap so it wouldn't fall off. When she reached Colette, she took out her hand, saying decently, "Sorry, again. I'm Jackie by the way."

Jackie?

Hadn't she heard that name before? And this woman seemed oddly familiar…

Colette took Jackie's hand uneasily.

"I'm Colette, miss."

Jackie rolled her eyes, telling the girl, "Oh please. I'm not that much older than you. I'm only 23. Which has me asking, how old are you?"

Colette retrieved her hand, shrugging, "I'm 17."

Jackie then gave Colette a strange look before admitting, "Your face seems familiar, but I can't seem to place it. Are you on the cheerleading squad at the High School?"

Colette caught herself blushing. She wasn't and her oldest brother's girlfriend who was the captain four years back didn't let her forget it. Colette actually tried out. She didn't make it.

"Er, no." She confessed as her lips twisted every which way in embarrassment.

The woman thought for a second. She then nodded, smiling, "Oh, I get it. You were a girl scout or something, right? Perhaps I bought some cookies from you? Of course I didn't eat them. More than likely I gave them to Fez."

Again Colette was averting her eyes from this woman. As a child she was more trouble than she was worth- not exactly "girl scout" material.

"I don't think so." Was all she could say.

Jackie sighed heavily, placing her hands on her hips and tapping her foot impatiently. She asked, more to herself than to anyone, "Then who are you?"

Colette didn't get that Jackie asked a rhetorical question. She then answered for the second time, "I'm Colette."

Jackie nodded, "Uh-huh, I know that already but for some reason your name isn't registering."

Colette simply shrugged, going back to her homework, "Okay. Then, whatever."

But Jackie wouldn't go away. She kept insisting, "But I do know you. I feel it. It's a shame I can't place you."

Colette couldn't concentrate on her work because this woman who kept claiming they knew each other wouldn't let her work. She really wanted to look up and tell the woman, "Please go. I have school stuff." But that was too rude. Even for her. So instead Colette looked up and asked, "Do you have kids that you need to rush home to or something?"

Jackie shook her head dejectedly as she sighed sadly, "No. Sorry to disappoint. No marriage, no kids and I was recently let go from my promising career as an aspiring photographer." And after a brief moment, Jackie found herself day-dreaming, "When I was your age I pictured myself already happily married, maintaining the mansion and the help, and looking after my tiny Michael Kelso's and little Jackie Burkhart's."

As she said the last part, her eyes fell on the girl sitting at the booth in front of her. And at the second it hit her like a rock.

_"Little Jackie?!"_ Jackie excitedly squealed, "Ohmygod! Is that you?! Yer all grown up!"

Her answer was Colette's blank face.

Little who?

For the third time, Colette told her, "My name is Colette."

Jackie ignored her as she smiled with pride, "Look at you. To think that I had a hand in your upbringing must've been life changing for you."

Colette shot her a tight smile, "I'm sorry. I think you're wrong again and it's pretty late. I should be getting back or my brother's will be out looking for me." As Colette began collecting her items that were spread all over the table, Jackie feverishly explained, "No-no! This time I'm right! Listen, do you remember when you were younger, like eleven or twelve or something? You were in something like the _Big Brothers/Big Sisters_ program?"

Colette froze. She then slowly looked up with curious brown eyes, "How the heck did you know that?"

Jackie beamed, "Because I was your Big Sister! I was, pardon my language_, Big_ Jackie and you were _Little _Jackie!"

And then it all came rolling back to Colette. She squinted her eyes at the older woman, saying slowly, "That. Was. You?"

Jackie nodded up and down cheerfully, "Yup!"

Colette said very deliberately, "They found me in that stupid cop car! Because of you I had a criminal record for breaking into vehicles! I had to bone up on several law books to get my record expunged! I'm only 17 and I had to deal with that crap! My mother gave me the worst beating in my life because of you and your strung up friends!"

Jackie paused, thinking back, "That's right. But, that wasn't on me. You see, Donna was the one to blame. You two were playing hide and seek and she lost you."

Colette rolled her eyes, "I was in your care and you just pawned me on to your buddy? I'm sorry but that was so irresponsible and definitely on you!" Before Jackie could respond, Colette continued, obviously pissed, "And another thing- how could **you ditch me**?! For the next three years I had to deal with this crazy chick named Caroline as my new big sister! When I did something wrong, she would hold her breath and I would get really freaked out! The last time I saw her, she was hospitalized!"

Colette then folded her arms across her chest, her face twisting into a disapproving scowl that made her seem older than what she really was, "Thanks a bunch, sis. Glad to know you had a helpful 'hand in my upbringing'."

Jackie turned away from the girl, guiltily.

Pause.

Colette rolled her brown eyes, rising from her seat as she arranged all her notes in a neat stack.

Trying to be cheerful, Jackie asked in a 'happy' tone, "So, whatcha doin'?"

Colette groaned, avoiding Jackie's figure completely, "I _was_ hanging out with my friends instead of doing this stupid report. Maybe if I'd done what my mother wanted me to, to begin with, and done my homework at the library instead of goofing off here at the HUB for hours then maybe I would be over there and not here. Maybe I would be done already. Either way…" She looked up at Jackie, staring directly into her different colored eyes, "I wouldn't have bumped into you."

Jackie heard this and couldn't help the next words that flew out of her mouth.

"Little Jackie, look: I apologize that I haven't kept in touch with you, but I'm not your mother. It's not my job to take care of you."

Colette laughed madly for a second before shaking her head. Bitterly she retorted as she shoved her notes into her backpack, "No. You are not my mother. My mother works her ass off to support her two overgrown, delinquent sons and their bitchy girlfriends- all who were supposed to find work but are too damn lazy to do squat. And, she also supports me and my younger brothers, both of whom frequently skip school and do drugs." Colette then shot at Jackie like a bullet, "My mother is a better woman than you'll ever be."

"Why the hell are you so mad?!"

"Because!" Colette growled, zipping up her backpack and threw it carelessly around her shoulder, "Despite our rough start, I really liked you! I really thought we had a real bond! And then, and then…and then I wound up in jail and you let me rot! I had to wait hours until my mom showed up! She was overworked; sleep deprived, and pissed off!" And just like that Colette reverted back to that preteen little girl Jackie recognized. In a very innocent and hurt tone, Colette sighed, "You were supposed to be my big sister…and you just left."

After a tense pause, Jackie spoke up.

"It sucks, doesn't it?"

Colette looked at Jackie with a confused face.

"What?"

Jackie admitted, scratching her chin awkwardly, "I-I kinda know what it's like to have someone who's there…who looks after you and that you care about. Someone that, despite yourself, you can't help but look up to. The same someone who just ups and leaves. Granted Donna gave me a month of fair warning before she took off to the wild blue yonder and she does send the occasional letter every six or so months, but it still stings."

It appeared as if Colette was ignoring her as she brushed passed Jackie and walked toward the exit of the HUB. But as Jackie's words sunk in, she stopped cold. And then she slowly turned around to face the twenty-three year old woman in front of her.

"Donna? Was she that redheaded chick with the big jacket?"

Jackie smirked as she thought back to the time her, Donna and Little Jackie spent time at the HUB together. But besides the fact that most of the banter that day was arguing and Donna turning Little Jackie against her, it was a fairly nice memory of better times in her life.

Jackie nodded, "Yeah. I always did think of her as a masculine woman…like Eric."

"Eric?" Colette asked, "Who's that?"

"He was Donna's ultra-feminine boyfriend."

Colette recollected, "That skinny guy? I think I remember him! All he talked about was Star Wars, his mother and his girlfriend."

Jackie dryly agreed, "I see you do remember him."

And then Colette paused. A question suddenly forming, "Say, whatever happened to them?"

Jackie thought about for a quick moment before saying, "That's a good question."

Colette shrugged off that subject and continued, "So…I guess you're still too busy for a kid like me to tag around, huh?"

Jackie explained, "Well, I'm currently looking for a job, any job really, that'll pay my rent. So tomorrow I'm going to look around and-"

Colette, let down, understood, "Oh. Yeah, you should probably do that."

And then Jackie saw it plain as day. Colette was reaching out to her. And Jackie already screwed up being a "big sister" once, and she wasn't one to repeat mistakes-most of the time. That lesson was painfully engrained in her skull as the mistakes that were Steven Hyde and Michael Kelso. And lastly, so what if that Big Brother/Big Sister program was buried deep in their past, it didn't matter. Colette, as Jackie saw it anyway, would always be Little Jackie to her- no matter how old they were.

From her purse, Jackie took out a small business card and wrote an address on the back of it with the pen she kept on the side pocket of her purse. She swiftly handed the card over to Colette, attempting to say in the most professional tone ever, "You can reach me at this address."

Her voice betrayed her underlined nervousness. It almost was five or six years since she practically abandoned Little Jackie like how her own mother left her. What if Little Jackie would hold this against her?

But her fears were washed away when Colette took the card, smirking, "Amateur photographer? According to this, you worked for the _Kenosha Sun_."

Jackie corrected, "I never said 'amateur.' I said 'aspiring'- just like everyone else in the world, Little Jackie."

Colette rolled her eyes, smirking. For the fourth time that day she sighed, "My name is Colette."

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**There's this story by Neil Gaiman and Andy Kubert called, 'Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?' Basically everyone from the different Batman 'universes' all bid farewell to their personal versions of Batman. And several characters step forward and tell a story of how "their" Batman died. Some stories are similar, some are different. But, the thing is, I look back at the finale and everyone around me is convinced that Eric and Donna did got back together. I'm not. I really, really, really want to believe they got back together, like how a kid wants to believe Santa exists, but...I don't see it. And then I pondered if the fictional residents of Point Place struggled with the question as I did. What did ever happen to Eric and Donna? **

**I do not own That '70s Show.**

**Or Batman.**


	2. Kitty

**I don't own That '70s Show.**

**I'm trying to 'adjust' everyone's lives in this chapter. Jackie's with Forman's and so forth. Red, Kitty, and Hyde will also be introduced so there will be some quick touch-ups on their lives. I'm trying to make the center character Colette, but Jackie and some others will be hanging around for the most part. I'm also trying to get an 'ED' vibe without them actually making a physical appearance in the story. Let's see if I did an 'ok' job. **

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**CH2. Kitty**

It had been three days since Colette and Jackie ran into each other. Colette had finished up her paper on the HUB closing and turned it in. She got a 99. One point was deducted for not doing the paper over a "nicer and more appropriate" building.

What a load of crap. She should've gotten a 100.

Anyway, Colette was through with her homework and decided to take her extra weekend and reconnect with her "Big Sister." Needless to say she was excited. Who knew what the day had in stored for her? But then, she knocked on the front door of the house of the address Jackie had given her. Her excitement died right at the front step.

A balding older man, in his mid-fifties opened up. As soon as he saw Colette, he groaned, "More kids? They're like roaches! You manage to get rid of a few and more seem to come back!"

Colette's right foot uncomfortably began to ache, so she rubbed it against the cement of the porch. The older man was so damn intimidating and Colette always prided herself on NEVER being intimidated. Yeah, well this guy ruined her perfect record.

"Um…" Where was she going to start? "Is Jackie home?"

The man gave her an incredulous look, "Home? This is NOT Jackie's home."

Colette tried again, "Well is she here?"

The man looked over Colette for a moment. The young girl wore a white blouse with a red sweater. She wore a pair of khaki pants and red sneakers. Colette's face was full of fading freckles and her brown eyes overflowed with innocence.

The man took a step back, saying to himself, "What's going on here? She's too young to be part of the first batch of degenerates…"

And as if the universe heard him, Reginald Albert Forman-Red, got his answer.

Jackie, sporting a sleeveless black turtleneck with a beige mini skirt and black heeled boots that cut off just above her ankle appeared behind Red. She had just finished doing her makeup and hair and felt a bit more liberated knowing how attractive she looked- especially with Hyde still staying in the Forman basement. Her ex would have to sit through an entire breakfast meal with her looking stunning as usual.

Jackie peeked over Red's shoulder and smiled at Colette, "Little Jackie! Come on in!"

Red shook his head, pointing at Colette, "No. You can stay on out."

And then he turned to Jackie, "And you. What's the big idea? You've barely been back a week from flunking out in Kenosha and already you're giving away this address to anyone you spot on the street? You don't even live here! And the only reason you're staying is because Kitty couldn't stand the thought of you roaming the hills of Wisconsin by yourself!"

Jackie merely smirked before pressing her lips on Red's cheek like if she was his own daughter.

Red flinched, shouting, "Don't even think that sweet, girly crap is gonna work on me! I was in the war dammit! I'm made of much stronger stuff!"

Jackie completely ignored his last comment and giggled, "Mr. Forman, can my protégé please eat breakfast with us?"

Red shook his head, closing his eyes, "No. Absolutely not."

Pause.

He opened one eye and saw Jackie, staring at him with arms folded and with a very disapproving look. He then opened his other eye to see skinny looking Colette. He knew what he had to do and he didn't like it one bit.

"Dammit." He groaned before asking Colette, "You haven't eaten a decent meal, have you?"

"No." The younger girl admitted shyly, looking down. Her stupid brothers pigged out and ate all the cereal, milk, and eggs. She guessed she could've eaten ham but there were two problems with that. The first was that the ham was expired and stunk like hell. The second was that she was allergic to ham.

Red opened the Forman's front door all the way, stepping silently aside for Colette to come in.

"Thank you, Mr. Forman!" Jackie chirped, grabbing Colette's arm and leading her into the living room. As the two went into the kitchen, Red could be heard closing the front door and grumbling, "Why do they always wind up on my doorstep? What the hell's wrong with the Lewis's or the Donohue's?"

Upon reaching the Forman kitchen, Colette's senses were happily awakened at the smells and sights of all the delicious breakfast dishes Mrs. Forman was preparing. There was small, round, thick Swedish pancakes; there were tiny plates of butter, a canister of honey-sickle syrup, and there were the greatest looking eggs next to the longest strips of sizzling bacon Colette had ever seen. And resting on the round breakfast table were tiny bowls of blueberries, strawberries, and apple slices. And Next to the bowls were two old fashioned pitchers. One was marked for milk, the other for orange juice. And by the counter, between the refrigerator and the microwave a fresh pot of coffee stood perfectly still, and by the scent of it, just brewed.

Did she die and go to heaven?

Colette blinked, her stomach growling and her mouth watering.

Jackie smiled at her, saying, "Yeah, the first time I was over for breakfast I had the same face."

Kitty looked up from stirring the eggs. She happily greeted them, "Oh Jackie! I was so busy I didn't hear you come in!" And then she noticed Colette, "Aw! You have a new little friend! Well, honey, what's your name?"

Before Colette could regain her speech, Jackie answered for her, "This is Little Jackie, my apprentice." Jackie then wrapped her arm tightly around Colette, proclaiming bravely, "I am taking her under my tutelage and molding her into a well-adjusted, happy adult-like me!"

Kitty blinked a bit before laughing, "A-ha, ha, ha, ha-ha! Okay then, you go do that."

Before Jackie could ask what was so funny, another man walked into the kitchen, but he came from the basement. He was a medium built man with broad shoulders. Unfortunately for him, even though he still had a few youthful features in his face, he was already showing the beginnings of a beer belly. It was possible he was aware of this fact because he was wearing a black hoodie in what looked to Colette as him trying to hide his stomach. And she didn't think he was trying to hide his shirt, who in their right minds would hide a shirt like him? From the unzipped upper part of his sweater, she could tell he was wearing a _Beatles_ T-shirt. From what she could see, it looked like the cover of their album _Revolver_.

With one hand in his blue jean side pockets and the other on his ruffled, dark brown hair, the man coughed, "Good morning, Mrs. Forman."

Kitty beamed, "And good morning to you too, Steven!"

The man scratched his bearded chin, his blue eyes looking everywhere else in the room except where Jackie and Colette stood. Kitty noticed this.

While the mother hen turned off the stove and began setting up the plates, she asked Hyde slowly, "Steven, honey? Don't you think you're forgetting to tell someone else 'good morning'?"

He looked around the room, puzzled for a moment before his eyes fell on Colette. He gave a short nod, "Good morning."

Kitty put down her spatula, obviously upset (as was Jackie) that he was being so rude.

"Steven." Kitty warned, "Jackie is in the room with us. Wouldn't it be nice to wish her a happy 'good morning'?"

He shrugged, not really seeming to give a damn, as he responded, "It would be nice to wish her a happy 'good bye'."

He then took out a pair of black aviators and slid them up the brim of his nose as to shield his eyes.

Kitty sighed patiently, "Steven-"

But Jackie cut her off with, "No, Mrs. Forman, its okay." She was clearly hurt and her eyes showed it, but she didn't let them weal up with tears as she coldly shot at Hyde, "I'm used to Hyde's immature behavior even though it's been like, **five **years since we were together."

Hyde emotionlessly smirked, "See Mrs. Forman? She's used to it, now-" Hyde changed the subject, popping his knuckles, "-what's for breakfast?"

Kitty went back to preparing the plates, saying out loud, "Honestly Steven, I don't know what has gotten into you the past week. Usually you're so nice and helpful around the house!"

At that moment Red came in from the dining room area, rolling up a newspaper. He turned toward Hyde, asking seriously and in his boisterous manner, "Whatever it is, it better not have anything to do with-" With his rolled up newspaper, Red pointed at Jackie, finishing, "The arrival of this one, or does it?"

Hyde nodded, answering honestly, "Might."

Red paused, eyeing him slowly. And then, the older man told him in a fatherly voice, "Steven, I like you a whole lot more than I do my own son, and I think much of you as a man, so when I tell you to-" Red's voice boomed like a loud speaker, causing all the women to jump and for Kitty to drop a small portion of egg on the floor as he shouted, "GET YOUR HEAD OUT OF YOUR ASS BEFORE MY FOOT DECIDES TO JOIN IT!" And then Red cleared his voice, going back to his fatherly tone, "You know I'm just trying to help. So, got that?"

Kitty gently hit Red's shoulder, hissing, "Red! You scared me! Now I have breakfast all over the floor!"

And that was when Hyde softly groaned and stood up. He told Kitty, "It's alright Mrs. Forman. I'll clean it up."

He made his way over to the pantry to take out a dustpan and broom while Kitty cooed, "Oh, Red! Isn't he the sweetest thing?!"

And Colette could've sworn the curly haired man's cheeks turned a light shade of crimson.

Kitty then turned toward the girls, "Would you two care to take your seats at the table?"

Colette asked awkwardly, "Are you sure it's okay, ma'am? I mean, you were making breakfast for four and I wouldn't want to intrude."

Kitty shook her head, a smile bubbling to her lips, "Nonsense! There's always room for one more at the Forman household!"

At that, Red rolled his eyes, "And she's not kidding either. She literally makes room."

* * *

Twenty minutes later and everyone was still eating their food, and Colette felt rather shy about finishing before everyone-twice.

"So," She started, hoping to turn their attention away from her and her fast eating habits (when one lives with four males, one learns to eat swiftly and just swallow the food), "How many children do you have, Mrs. Forman?"

Kitty immediately answered, "Three. The first is Laurie, she just came back from…well…"

The truth was, no one knew where Laurie ran off to in the latter half of the '70s. All they knew was that she had recently returned a few years back, right around the time Fez and Jackie broke up and Jackie moved to Kenosha after obtaining a job. As far as anyone saw, Jackie moved out one day and Laurie moved in with Fez the next.

Kitty shook her head, dismissing everything, "It doesn't matter. All that matters is that she's back in Point Place. She's trying to get a job but with her work ethic…well…yeah." Kitty changed the subject, "And Steven here is the sole owner of _Grooves_!"

Colette was impressed, "The record store? No way! I love your stuff, but I assumed that guy with mane of hair owned it since I always see him there."

Hyde shook his head, "Randy? Nah. He's like, my manager."

Colette raised her eyebrow, "Still man, that's awesome! My friends and I go there all the time and stuff!"

Kitty then took a sip out of her glass of milk, "Oh, and Eric! I almost forgot about my little baby. He's…um…he's…." She really didn't know what Eric was up to come to think of it.

Jackie, who was seated on Kitty's direct left asked, "Don't you know where he's at, Mrs. Forman?"

Red stopped eating and looked at his wife cautiously. Kitty, after a moment, shook her head, "I really don't know…." She turned to Hyde suddenly, "Steven?"

Hyde shrugged, "Beats me. Last time I saw him, he was having sex with-" He caught himself and immediately tried to rectify it in mid-sentence, "having, um, _chess_. He was playing _chess_ with Donna the eve of New Years 1980."

Red rolled his eyes, knowing full well that Hyde slipped up. Kitty knew as well, the difference was she was trying really hard to believe that Eric really would play chess with Donna at a New Year's party. And Jackie could only smirk at everyone's reactions, especially Hyde who was not used to screwing up in front of everyone.

Hyde lightly took a sip of his coffee, nodding, "I believe it was a good game. I think Donna won."

Red groaned, "Geez! Do you people think we were born yesterday? We all know that Eric and Donna-"

"_RED!"_ Kitty shouted desperately. Everyone then turned toward her. She awkwardly told her husband, "Whether we know it or not doesn't mean we should _say_ it. That's not breakfast table talk and I will not stand for it in my kitchen! I cook family meals here!"

Red groaned, "Okay-okay, I'm just saying, don't lie to us!"

Kitty shook her head, "Well when the truth is what it is I, for one, would prefer the lies!"

Colette then chimed in, "Well, if no one knows what happened to him, why don't you all get into contact with his girlfriend?"

Hyde shook his head, explaining, "Wouldn't work. They officially severed ties that New Year's."

The newcomer interrupted, "But you said-"

Hyde explained to the girl, trying to use 'breakfast talk' for Kitty's sake and be mindful of his words, "Yeah. They did do it, but it was more like a 'last hurrah' thing then it was a 'let's get back together' deal."

Colette shook her head, "And they just went their separate ways? Just like that? After a lifetime of knowing each other?"

Kitty, drinking her milk, bitterly retorted, "All I know was that while my baby was in Africa, that fabricated blond practically paraded around here with her new boy toy-Randy!"

Colette asked, very much confused, "Blond?"

Jackie filled in, "Donna dyed her hair yellow. I personally saw it as a step up from her classic trucker display."

Kitty shook her head, "Step down if you ask me. All she did was whore herself around, flaunting those-those_ jugs_ and shaking those hips to any man that stumbled passed her way!" She then added, "I'm surprised the milkman was left in one piece!"

Red, again, stopped eating and looked up at his wife. Hyde just gave her a quizzical look, "_That's_ breakfast table talk?"

An excited Kitty ignored him, going on, telling Colette, "In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if she was something similar to Steven's stripper wife! Or worse- a jogger!"

Colette couldn't believe it, turning to Hyde she asked, "You were married?"

And right when he and Jackie were about to answer, Kitty thought out loud, "I bet I can even guess what that harpy is up to today!"

**Kitty's Thoughts:**

New York City

A woman in a skimpy outfit ran through the dark streets. Her heels clacked every two feet as she kept running in a direction she wasn't even sure of. Behind her a cloud of men hurried, screaming and calling her name, begging her to go back to them.

Her breath kept coming in short puffs, sweat caking on her forehead as she ran into the nearest alley she could find. The men's voices grew louder as she rounded another corner in the alley. From above, rusty apartments towered over her. The women who lived there threw their dirty water at her, scowling at her and calling her names for what she did to their husbands.

She managed to avoid the water, but stopped when the alley reached a dead end. For a second she stared at the wall in silence before letting out a painful howl. She then turned around, eager to get out as quickly as she went in, but only saw a rat blocking her exit.

It was a big rat. A big, grey, sewer rat the size of her head. It glared at her with its tiny red eyes before hissing madly. It waved it's long, hairless tail at her before scampering off under a diseased ridden mattress with several brown stains on it.

Passing the mattress was the only way to leave the alley, but she was worried that if she did, the rat would come out. Maybe it had rabies. Maybe it would biter her.

The noise from the men grew louder and angrier, all calling out her name to finish what she started. But she had no desire to. She was through throwing away her life, and she just had to get out.

She bolted passed the mattress as fast as she could and ran to the other end of the alley. She kept hearing their grunts and swears as she banged on any door she could find, crying out for them to open up. But every time a descent woman would see her, with her caked on make-up and phony eye lashes and dirty blond hair, they would just shake their heads and lock up their door extra tight. They even turned off their outside lights to make the alleyway extra dark.

She kept running though, her heels clacking louder than ever as she stepped in a puddle of murky water. Her hands began to shake; growing frantic at the possibility of what those men would do to her once they caught up with her. What her past would do to her once it caught up to her.

She could feel her eyes tense up and water. She could feel her heart accelerate. Goosebumps crawled all through her back as she painfully became aware that those men were going to find her. And they were going to do unspeakable things to her.

She saw one last door at the farthest end of the alley. She sprinted to it, landing incorrectly on her left heel and falling because of it. She fell hard, scraping one of her knees. But she wasn't going to give up- not again.

She flung her heels in the opposite direction and struggled to get back on her feet. With the cold, wet gravel ground piercing the flesh under her feet, she walked hurriedly toward her very last hope.

There were two warped, wooden steps in front of the door that she forced herself to walk on. She tried her best not to even look at her knees, knowing full well what she would see. She knocked on the door, hoarsely calling out for someone to help her. She needed someone to get her out of this hellhole.

The inside door opened, leaving the screen door locked and still keeping her out.

Soon the kitchen lamp flickered on and her heart nearly stopped.

"Eric?"

The man inside stepped away, as if worried about something, "Donna."

The noise of the other men grew deafly apparent and he couldn't help but ask, "What happened?"

She answered the only way she knew how, "I don't know."

Almost immediately he opened the door for her, helping her inside. He locked both the inside and the outside doors and did the only thing he could to leave the other men outside in total darkness in the alley- he turned off the outside lights.

He then turned to her, noticing her bleeding all over the kitchen floor. But he noticed what she was wearing first.

"Why are you wearing that…that _**costume**_?"

She leaned against one of his walls, slowly setting herself down on the ground to catch her breath.

"Donna, what the hell is going on?!" He shrieked, close to banging on his small, circular kitchen table. She said nothing but averted her eyes from him, choosing to stare at the tiny icebox that served as his refrigerator instead. He knelt down in directly in front of her and whispered harshly, "Donna, there are men out there looking for you. Why are they looking for you?!"

She closed her eyes. She didn't want to cry in front of him. And she wasn't going to.

Eric angrily demanded, "Answer Me!"

"This isn't a costume." She said softly. She then turned her cold eyes directly on him as she said sternly, "It's my uniform. For my job."

Eric couldn't help himself as he spat, "Which is what exactly? Being a whore?"

With clenched teeth she growled, "Well aren't you Mr. High and Mighty today. I guess you took some of your stupid moral fiber."

He pointed at the door, saying, "What about them? Is this what you want now? To run from a bunch of drunken men!"

She made a fist, pounding onto the floor madly. She spat at him, "You cannot judge me! I did what I had to do to stay in school! There's no money from either of my parents and I have too much pride to go and beg for it. So, I picked up a part time job." She then leaned back, trying not to sound too upset as she confessed, "Drunk, horny, married men pay the rent. How the hell was I supposed to know they'd want more than a lap-dance."

He didn't accept her answer, "What's your real reason for doing this? For hurting yourself?"

She narrowed her eyes at him, "What was your real reason for going to Africa. For hurting everyone around you?"

He turned away from her, mumbling, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"The hell you don't." She mumbled, her hand covering her bleeding knee. He stared at her knee thoughtfully for a moment before getting up, saying, "Let me get something for that."

While he was gone, she really took in the sights of the kitchen. It was very small, yellow, and not too furnished. Maybe the rest of the apartment was that way. But there was one thing she did notice. He put cheese graders on the wall next to the door she spilled in from. Even here in New York, it felt like the Forman's.

A pang of guilt her gut as she leaned forward, trying to catch her breath. When he came back she watched quietly as he cleaned out her knee with Hydrogen Peroxide. It stung a little, but far less than her pride. And then she saw him carefully wrap up her knee in some bandages he must've had in his restroom.

Neither of them said a word as he did this simple gesture for her. And she really wanted to thank him, but both of them knew she never would. Like she said earlier, she had too much pride to be a decent person, and too little to be a real human being.

"Why're you here in New York?" She asked, finding that after all these years she just wanted to talk to him.

Eric shrugged, never taking his eyes off his bandaging, "You wouldn't believe it."

"Try me."

Eric looked up doubtfully before smiling, "I'm finding myself."

Donna cocked her eyebrow skeptically, "In New York? What? You'd thought you'd find yourself at the Statue of Liberty or something?"

Eric sat down next to her, shaking his head, "No, think about it. This place is rich with people and culture. Different people. Different cultures. I could learn here, be a teacher as well as a student! Learn of what it is like on this world. You see, Donna, I've been searching for so long for an answer- for a reason to be alive when the answer was there all along. And even though I wasn't sure of the question, I needed the answer! I needed to get in touch with what truly mattered- my fellow man."

She just stared at him with a stumped face. He then added, "And women, of course."

Her lips pursed, her eyes glazing down to the tile floor, "So let me get this straight…you were searching for an answer for a question you weren't even sure about and that's why you ran away to Africa? That's why you're here in New York?"

Eric nodded, smiling, "Yes! To learn and explore more! To find if weather or not there truly is a force!"

She made a face, finding herself growing angrier by the second, "_**A**** Force**_? This better be Physics, Eric."

Eric shook his head, trying to get her to understand as he waved his hands about, "As in _Star Wars,_ Donna. Think about it- what if we were all connected like in-"

She almost lost it.

"Well, while you were globetrotting around the universe and in your figurative Millennium Falcon searching for answers- I was struggling without you Eric!" She ran her weary hand through her blond strands, laughing incredulously, "To think I could only think about you for all these years…and all you thought about was 'getting in touch' with a bunch of people who probably thought you were off yer rocker!"

Eric shook his head, trying to get her to realize, "Listen Donna, there are so many possibilities out there. We, as a race, are on the cusp of something much bigger than ourselves, something much stronger! Could you imagine a TV, a radio and phone all as the same thing? Look, I went to this seminar of what the future could bring and-"

She really wanted nothing more than to slap him right now. She fumed, "Eric! A TV, a radio and a phone is just that! A TV, a radio and stupid, freakin' phone! They are all separate entities! You can't combine them! That's just wishful thinking that doesn't have anything to do with anything!"

"I'm serious, Donna." Eric tried again, leaning closer, "There is an edge out there! A silver lining. A horizon where with this new technology we can finally connect not only the world, but perhaps one day learn the truth behind the origin of the human race. I've taken a peek and it's wonderful. You would've loved it. You should've been there-"

She cut him off, snapping, "Maybe I would've if you didn't leave me behind."

He paused for a moment, his mouth hanging open lamely. In the next second he shut it, looking away from her and rubbing the back of his head.

After another moment, she let out a breath, "Eric, I can't do this anymore and yet…and yet, I can't move on. What the hell does your stupid seminar have to say about that? Will your newfound theories and toys finally find a way to treat loneliness? To remedy the anguish and sadness that the human spirit needs to know what happiness truly is? To be one with yourself and another? Will it change Love and Hate? Will it 'cure' us from the very thing that makes us flawed and wonderful to begin with? Will it cure us of living? And will we forget how to be human in the process?"

"I don't know what you mean." He said gently, his voice barely audible as she placed a hand on his leg, "When was the last time you called your mother since your personal quest started?"

He looked up, his mouth dry, "I…can't remember."

She shook her head at him, "You can't even pick up a phone and you already want to hook up a TV and radio to it."

She sighed, asking him slowly, "Why're you even doing this?"

"Because," he started shakily, "Because I'm trying to find the answer!"

"What the hell's the question, Eric?"

"Why am I-" He looked away at her, focusing on the edge of the kitchen table, "Why am I so miserable?"

She looked over her hands. Chipped finger nail polish sprinkled her outfit. With her left hand she rubbed her cheek. When she looked over those fingers she saw the residue of one of the layers of foundation she had applied earlier that night.

She chuckled at the insanity of it all.

"You? At least you were trying." She took in a deep breath, trying to sort it all out in her mind, "I was more lost than you. I had sex with men I don't even know. I've degraded myself because I thought that if I could hurt myself, I could hurt you." She then looked up at him, blinking back the tears, "_**I**_ am miserable, Eric."

The noise from outside picked up again, the men's voices drawing closer.

He watched the door with a certain look in his eyes that words could never capture. He then took in a deep breath, wondering, "What happened to us, Donna?"

The voices outside were so loud; they both knew that these men were just outside the door. As their anger drowned out Eric and Donna's thoughts, Donna reached out and turned his chin toward her. His eyes soon followed, a very sad expression hidden in his features.

She suggested softly, "Let's just be miserable together."

She pulled him closer to her for one last kiss before-

**Kitty's Thoughts End**

"The End!" Kitty shouted as she patted the breakfast table.

Everyone broke out at once, Colette's voice the most distinguishable as she cried out, " 'Let's be miserable together'? That's horrible!"

Jackie had a hand raised, "Wait a minute, was Donna a stripper or what? Because I've seen her try to be sexy and believe you me, it is one of the top three saddest things I've ever saw! It's right next to a blind puppy and the creation of the IRS."

Hyde scrounged up his face, "So why was Forman interested in 'finding himself' all of a sudden?"

Red agreed, "My son better not be a damn Hippie!"

Kitty tried to explain, "I put Donna that way because of how she dirtied up my little boy! Even in the end she was all over him! And my Eric was a good boy-"

Red commented, "Well, if you don't like Donna, why did you give her that line about mentioning you?"

Everyone nodded their approval of this question while Kitty shook her head, "Because! Because I….I…Because!"

Colette raised her fork, asking, "So were they gonna get busy at the end or were they getting back together-?"

Kitty shook her head, stating firmly, "That is no one's business and I most certainly will not get any further into this topic! And besides, I'm too much of a lady to report the next event, but knowing that Donna..."

After a short pause, Red asked his wife slowly, "Kitty, we need to have a good, long conversation over the definition of 'breakfast talk'."

Jackie then turned to Colette, "We're usually not this crazy around here."

Hyde nodded, raising his glass, "Damn right. Usually it's worse. It's pretty tame this morning."

Jackie shot him a nasty look.

Kitty shook her head, upset, "It's just…I cared for her as if she were my very own! When Bob and Midge would leave for long periods of time I let her stay here with us and break bread on this very table! When Midge left, I took care of her and tried to be the mother she never had! I taught her how to make classic, home-made waffles dammit! And her and Eric were so close I…I just couldn't believe how she moved on so fast when my baby left. And I knew how much Eric cared for her that it just hurt, because it didn't seem…as if it meant nothing to her though I think it did and I…I, um," Colette, as did the rest, saw Kitty's expressions contort with all sorts of mixed emotions, especially pain. She dabbed her left eye with a napkin, saying, "Excuse me everyone."

Her eyes grew watery as she cleared her throat, taking Hyde's plate, "Steven, honey, you're done. I'll just go and wash-"

Hyde put his arm around her, telling her, "It's okay Mrs. Forman. I'll do it."

Red uncomfortable looked down as Kitty shrugged, admitting, "Laurie used to send letters. Most were full of sarcastic remarks, but she still sent them so that I knew my first baby was safe out there. And Eric called while he was in Africa. He knew it was long-distance, but he still called me every single day. And Steven here, well," She reached over and patted Hyde's cheek gently, laughing a little, "Oh, a-ha, he's just my little protector. Always around and helping around the house." She then stared at the orange juice pitcher, letting out a sad sigh, "I thought Donna would be more appreciative. But, she just packed her bags and left New Year's Day. She thanked me and promised me she would call the house if anything important came up. That was four years ago. I haven't heard a word since. And I just…oh I don't know. I guess it would be nice if I knew that somewhere out there she was at least thinking of us."

She gave a small shrug, "If Eric was thinking of us."

A stiff silenced followed as Red told his wife, as if no one else was around, "It's not your fault, Kitty. And, it's not Donna's either. Now, I'm not saying I condone what she did, but it must be pretty hard for her, picking up the pieces of her life as we all are doing. The last thing she would probably want is to be around anything that even remotely reminds her of Eric. Unfortunately, that includes us. We are her ex-boyfriends parents."

"We are far more than that." Kitty flatly said in the most serious tone anyone had ever heard from her.

Red, on the hand, took the most understanding tone, "I know. But give her time. And give Eric time. They'll come back." His voice switched to his regular gruffness as his eyes settled on Jackie as he remarked, "They _always_ do weather we want them to or not."

* * *

**I kept thinking about it over and over and, well, over again. Who was I going to start with? And then it hit me. Not like a baseball bat or anything, but like a little light bulb. I'd start with Kitty. She was after all Eric's mother. Who would be more attatched to a boy than his mom? And besides, I figured she would be the most hurt out of anyone I could think of if any one of the kids (especially her Eric) left. But what I didn't count on was her attitude toward Donna. I know that in some episodes she had a hostile and competitive attitude for her, but at the same time cared for her as she did all the kids. I tried to incorporate aspects of both (which is why she puts Donna in her role of the story as a 'woman of the night' yet 'conscience' for Eric to begin with). I know it's very contradictory, but I think her feelings for Donna are something like that. And also Eric seems to have everything together until he opens his mouth. Like how a toddler frequently asks, "What's this?" and "How does that work?", he finds himself asking the same questions. He's too absorbed in the bigger picture that he's missing all the details of life, his mother and Donna both being those 'trivial' details. Now, for everything as a whole, I did my best to keep everyone in character and believable. Let me know what you think and I'll see ya around. **

**As for a Batman fic, I'm definately thinking about it. But, it's gonna be awhile. **


	3. Red

_**I don't own That '70s Show. **_

_**I don't own anything, I really don't. **_

* * *

**CH3. Red**

Red, on the hand, took the most understanding tone, "I know. But give her time. And give Eric time. They'll come back." His voice switched to his regular gruffness as his eyes settled on Jackie as he remarked, "They _always_ do weather we want them to or not."

After a deep pause, Colette asked Red rather shyly, "Mr. Forman? Do you think that's what happened to your son and his girlfriend?"

Red thought back to Kitty's detailed story before sighing, "No."

Everyone mumbled their approval of his statement before he told them in a firm voice, "I have an idea of my own based off of the current behavior I've seen from Eric. He is our son, and his not speaking to us is different than anything those other kids can do, even Donna. It is immature, thoughtless, and rude. And if he wants time away to act like a victim instead of standing up like a real man, then he can be the victim."

Everyone mumbled their own thoughts of his statement before he told them in a firm voice, "I have an idea of my own."

Everyone groaned for the inevitable.

**Red's Thoughts:**

In a long, vacant, school hallway, a young, skinny man sloshed his mop on the blue tile floor. He thought of all his missed opportunities, his stupidity, his now wasted future and how he let his idol-his father-down by never going to college. All his dreams of being a teacher were dashed away in cloud of smoke. His only consolation was that he still did have a job at a school, like he always wanted. But, the horrible part was that he was a-

The bell rang and thousands of kids flooded the once empty corridor. One kid, just to be mean, purposefully spilt a cherry Slurpee on the floor the skinny man just cleaned. With a sigh, the skinny man went over to his little cleaning cart and tried to pull out a big, yellow "caution" sign but he couldn't.

"Ugh!" He groaned, trying to lift it while most kids who passed him pointed and giggled at him. And then he managed to jostle it out of his cart, he only got in two steps before he heard:

"Eric?"

He let go of the sign immediately and it fell, clanging to the floor.

All the kids who passed him were now roaring with laughter.

A tall, redheaded woman rushed to his aid and lifted the sign, saying a little out of breath, "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to distract you."

The skinny man now known to be Eric Forman shook his head, lying, "You-you, um…ya didn't distract me! I was just…it was just heavy."

She gave him a slight smile before asking, "Where do you want it?"

He gestured at the site of the cherry Slurpee incident.

Without hesitation she went over and opened the sign by it, and it stood upright. He felt a twinge of jealousy, all the other times he had done the same task; that damn sign fell at least three times before he could get it to stand. She did it in one minute, maybe less, on the first try.

"So," Eric started weakly, scanning her very attractive body which was in a business like attire, "Business or pleasure?"

"Huh?" She looked at him as if he grew another head.

He pointed at her clothes, everything from her baby blue business jacket and matching skirt, all the way down to her closed-toed high heels.

"Oh." She nodded, looking down at her clothes as she explained, "I had an interview today for a position at a hospital."

Eric was impressed, "Nurse? Like my mother?"

Donna shook her head, seemingly embarrassed, "Uh-no. Right now I'm still in training and I haven't gotten my PH.D or even a Master's for god's sake, but I am going to school to be a doctor. The position was just to be in the hospital and get used to the drill around there, it's mainly at the front desk and stuff."

Doctor? She was going to be a doctor and he was-

"That's good." He nodded, trying not to feel envy. She then awkwardly asked, "So…you work here?"

Eric folded his arms across his chest, forcing out a smile, "Yeah. It's great. You know how much I love kids."

In the distance, a chubby boy shouted at Eric, "Quit jawin' and clean up the red drink on the floor, Fuck-Up!"

Eric pretended not to hear the kid as he continued, "And they love me."

"You're a teacher?" She asked shakily.

"No." He said in a toneless voice.

"Oh, so yer like, still in school to be one?" She asked hopefully.

"No." He said in the same somber expression as before.

"But you're still in college?" She asked, more desperate than hopeful this time.

"No."

Donna finally forced herself to look at him in his regular clothes and wearing a dark blue apron with many pockets. He was a custodian alright; she just didn't want to believe her High School Sweetheart had fell off the peak he always stood on back in his youth.

He seemed to read her thoughts as he coldly acknowledged, "Yes. I'm a janitor."

For some reason it embarrassed her more than him and she shyly looked away. The second she did, a seven year old girl with a deep Brooklyn accent came up to her, saying, "Hey Donna. We goin' home now?"

Eric stared at the child who bore absolutely no resemblance to Donna Pinciotti. The girl had wild, black hair what was tied up in a loose bun, her skin was a shade of golden-brown and her dark eyes were always scanning everyone, as if she expected someone to suddenly rush out and take her.

Eric turned toward Donna, very surprised, "You adopted?"

Donna placed an arm around the girl, saying, "Sorta."

The girl enlightened him, "She married my dad. He's a Biochemist."

Eric almost hit the floor in shock as he managed to blubber out, "You're married?"

Donna proudly showed off her golden band, "Yup. Only two years though. We're planning on having a baby after I'm through with school." She then looked down at the girl, "Ready to go, Chelsea?"

The girl nodded, "Yeah, let's leave dis dump."

Donna shot Eric a worried smile as she ushered her step-daughter out of the school building. And all Eric could do was stand helplessly in the middle of the hallway while all the kids walked passed him and to their next class.

**End of Red's Thoughts**

Colette blinked her eyes away from Mr. Forman, concentrating on the floor while everyone braced themselves for Mrs. Forman's reaction.

All Kitty did was give Red a nasty look as she bitterly retorted, "Janitor? You made my baby a _janitor_?"

Red raised his hands in defense, "I only call it like I see it, Kitty."

The sliding door of the kitchen opened and in came Laurie and Fez, both looking worn out and ready for blood.

Hyde's aviators slid an inch off the brim of his nose as he sucked in a breath, taking in the sight of them, "Whoa."

Kitty stood up, her voice drench in concern, "My goodness! Were you two in a fight?"

"Yes." Fez panted, taking a seat on one of the bar stools by the counter as he finished, "With each other."

Laurie growled, "Me and this idiot have been arguing all damn day long!"

Colette pointed at the blond woman, turning to Jackie, "That's…."

"Laurie." Jackie explained, "Eric's older sister. And that mocha-coca mess over there-" Jackie sighed, gesturing at Fez, "is none other than-"

"Fez!" Fez announced himself proudly.

But for some reason this Fez didn't seem at all like the guy she remembered. His eyes were blood shot, his clothes were faded, his hair was a mess, and he had the faint odor of bananas for some reason. Colette couldn't help the words that fell out of her mouth, "What happened?"

Laurie snapped at Colette, "I happened and who the hell are you?!"

Jackie pointed at Colette, confidently bragging, "Lil Jackie."

Laurie snickered, "And what does that make you?** Big** Jackie?"

Jackie narrowed her eyes at her, "Well, I'd rather be Big Jackie than Big Bitch!"

Laurie took her mother's seat at the table, laughing, "Don't insult Fez, midget."

At that Fez pointed at Laurie, saying darkly, "You have insulted Fez. You have insulted Fez with your vulgar presence and you know what is worse?"

Hyde guessed, "That you're referring to yourself in third person?"

Fez shook his head, saying dramatically, "That you are using Fez's friends to get to him!"

Red took the opportunity to take a sip of coffee. Until Laurie snickered, "Oh, quit yer cryin'! I'll sleep with you tonight."

Hearing that Red spit out his drink and Fez jumped up, his old swagger crawling back into his sullen form as he happily clapped, "Aye! Yes! You can use Jackie and other friends of Fez to make fun of me any day of da week!"

Jackie rolled her eyes at Fez sarcastically, "Gee, thanks a lot, Fez."

Hyde's mouth moved to one side bitterly as he retorted, "Way to stick to yer pals."

Fez, not detecting their bitter sarcasm, nodded toward Jackie, "You are welcome, Jackie." And then to Hyde, "You too."

And then Kitty asked her daughter, "Laurie, honey-"

Laurie rolled her eyes, letting out a loud groan, "_What _is it now?"

Jackie hissed at the older girl, "That's your mother, show some respect you ungrateful brat!"

Laurie pointed at Kitty, explaining to Jackie, "My mother only calls me 'honey' when she wants something from me!"

Hyde thought out loud, "She calls me 'honey' and 'sweetie' all the time."

Laurie snarled at him, "Those are her pet name for you and Eric apparently, orphan! They are only reserved for her-" She picked up her voice and it sounded disturbingly like Kitty's, "-_little boys who are too young and weak to help themselves_!" She then snarled at Hyde, "Which is the stupidest thing I've ever heard! Like, how old are you Hyde? 46?"

Hyde narrowed his eyes behind his aviators, answering blandly, "24."

Laurie dismissed him with a wave of her hand, "Well with that beer belly and your caveman beard, you look passed 40."

Before Hyde could utter an insult, Jackie found her mouth angrily spewing at Laurie, "Why don't you just go crawl back from the hell fire you erupted from and leave him alone?"

For the first time since Colette was in that house, she sensed something between Jackie and Hyde- as did everyone else. Both Red and Kitty turned to Jackie, absolutely surprised while a stunned Hyde didn't say a word at all. What was worse- Laurie did. She pulled out a toothy, hungry twisted grin and chuckled, "My-my-my…it appears our little cheerleader from _Christmas Once Upon High School's_ over, still harbors feelings for the burnout stoner from way back when, huh?"

Colette turned to Jackie, seeing her face turn from a light shade of pink to flaming red. Jackie hotly denied at Laurie, "I do not! It's just…we're all friends here except for you so-so….YOU GO AWAY!"

Jackie knew how feeble that sounded, and it was probably music to Laurie's ears to hear how weak her voice bounced in her throat in embarrassment, but she didn't care. As long as she kept a straight upper lip, it didn't matter what shade of crimson her face was, she'd blame it on anger not love.

Laurie smartly turned away from her, cackling, "My parents live here. What're you gonna do, Midget?"

And her answer came from a crisp Kitty, "We'll throw you out, that's what. Now, stop being such a loud-mouthed snarky pants before I stop washing yours and Fez's clothes."

Laurie's face fell.

Not the laundry! She hated doing laundry and she always pawned off her mother to clean hers and Fez's clothing.

Red scrunched up his nose, smacking his morning paper against the table, "Dammit, Kitty! Do you mean to tell me my socks have been swimming around in the same water with the foreigner's unmentionables?"

Fez smiled at the bald man, "Just think, Red…your shirt was probably soakin' inside my undies."

Hyde smirked at his old friend, "Fez, you're looking to get your ass kicked, aren't you?"

Red groaned at the mere thought of it, "GAH!" He then turned to Laurie, "You! You learn how to wash your clothes and this idiot's at the apartment washing machines or next time-" He turned to Fez, his brown eyes bubbling in pools of fury as he threatened, "My foot will probably be soaking inside your ass, got it?!"

Fez gulped, nodding, "Yeth. Yes, I do."

Only Laurie seemed indifferent as she sighed, "Whatever."

Hyde couldn't help the small smirk that cracked on his face- Ah, the sweet taste of Justice.

And while Kitty turned around to prepare breakfast plates for Laurie and Fez, she moved out of the way for Fez to see the new occupant.

"Holy crap!" He gasped, "Have we not learned out lesson?"

Jackie and Hyde turned to him, Jackie rolling her eyes, "What's wrong, Fez?"

Fez pointed to a tomboyish Colette, "Her! Fist we tried to replace my beloved Kelso and Edic with that Randy and everything was all sucky and soupy. And when our true heroes came back to us on New Years, did we not vow to never replace them with good looking, pansies again?"

Hyde remembered what Fez was talking about. They all still hung out with Randy, and only took that stupid vow because Fez demanded it once Forman and Kelso came back home. So, the six of them vowed never to replace the others again. And yes, he still occasionally hung out with his _Grooves_ manager, but not as much as he used to. He still liked Randy, but sometimes the guy was a little too feminine and perfect and happy and positive. It was irritating to be around total goodness all day. Every once in a while, a fella needs a total psychotic to snap at him and rile him up. Like Laurie, and come to think of it, even Jackie would fit the bill.

He nodded boringly, "Yes. We did take a vow of stupidity, so what?"

Fez gestured at Colette, "Then why are we in presence of Donna 2?"

Hyde looked over at Colette, raising an eyebrow, "Who? Her? No Fez, she's a puppy. Jackie's little experiment to feel good about herself or something."

"And besides," Jackie cut in, "She's Lil' Jackie, not Donna 2."

"My name is Colette." Colette threw in, but she was drowned out by Fez's remark, "Really?! Because, she reminds me of Donna."

Laurie stared at the girl as if she just realized she was there before saying to everyone in an amused tone, "Let's find out if she really is like that bossy, redheaded giant." She then leaned in at Colette, smiling one of those smiles, "So…gotta boyfriend?"

Everyone paused, including Red and Kitty, to hear Colette's answer. She was technically a stranger to them, even Jackie, and they viewed this as an opportunity to get to know her a little better.

Colette noticed everyone looking at her, waiting for her response. She twisted in her seat before admitting, "No, no I don't."

Laurie cut in with, "Do ya want one?"

"No, I really wanna focus on school-"

"You can't get one, can you?"

Hotly Colette remarked, "I could if I wanted, but I don't so I didn't!"

She didn't know why, but she could feel herself sweating up a storm as Laurie pushed further, "Got any friends?"

"A few."

"Any of 'em boys?"

"Maybe-"

"Find any of them cute?"

For some reason she was feeling anger more than embarrassment and shook her head firmly at Laurie, "No. I don't."

"Live around any of your buddies?"

"No."

"Are you an only child?"

"No."

"Are you close with your dad?"

"No."

"Pants or a skirt?"

Colette looked Laurie in the eye, saying deliberately, "Pants in the relationship, a skirt with a matching top for my wardrobe."

Laurie paused, seeming to like her answer before asking her final question, "Do you want to get married and settled down or would you rather travel the world?"

Colette smirked, wanting so much to outsmart the blond woman in front of her, "Why do I have to limit myself to one or the other? I'll travel the world and pick up my groom while doing it."

Laurie leaned back in her seat, announcing to everyone, "There you have it! Donna or Jackie, you decide. Let's hear the verdict."

Jackie rolled her eyes, "Enough of this crap, Lil Jackie is Lil Jackie and not Donna 2."

Colette sank in her seat, groaning, "What is wrong with everyone? Like, I don't have a voice or anything?! My. Name. Is. Col-ette!"

"Personally, she reminds me of Jackie." Hyde commented. Jackie nodded at him, "Thank You!" Hyde then continued, "Lil Jackie's a bit on the whiny side."

Jackie's face hit the ground, while Colette complained, "Me?! Whiny?! Never in my life has anyone said anything like that to me! Take it back."

Fez looked at Hyde, "Are you sure who are not confusing 'whiny' with 'bossy'? Donna was very bossy. Like…I remember her always bossing Eric around everywhere- and he enjoyed bein' on the short leash."

Jackie turned to a disturbed Mrs. Forman as she gave Laurie and Fez their plates, "Please disregard that last statement."

Red rolled his eyes, asking the ceiling, "Just once I would like a kid free morning. Just once, Lord. Why can't you give me that one last request?"

Fez interrupted him, lost in his own thoughts, "In fact…I bet I can even guess what Eric and Donna are up to now…."

* * *

**_And the beat the goes on... (I've been listening to Sonny & Cher a lot lately. Well, this song in particular.)_**

**_Drums keep pounding a rythm...rhythm? rhythm (?) to the beat._**

**_Ladi, da-di, dee._**

**_Ladi, da-di, da._**


	4. Fez

_**Somewhat Strange. You've been warned.** _

* * *

**CH.4 Fez **

Fez looked at Hyde, "Are you sure who are not confusing 'whiny' with 'bossy'? Donna was very bossy. Like…I remember her always bossing Eric around everywhere- and he enjoyed bein' on da short leash."

Jackie turned to a disturbed Mrs. Forman as she gave Laurie and Fez their plates, "Please disregard that last statement."

Red rolled his eyes, asking the ceiling, "Just once I would like a kid free morning. Just once, Lord. Why can't you give me that one last request?"

Fez interrupted him, lost in his own thoughts, "In fact…I bet I can even guess what Eric and Donna are up to now…."

**Fez's thoughts:**

Eric, with a thick mustache and wearing tight purple pants and a tight purple shirt that exposed his hairy chest paced around in a dark room. Finally, he stopped pacing the cold tile floor and took a seat in one of the many rows of chairs in front of the black door.

The clock kept ticking, each second pounding into Eric's slippery heart.

Finally, after what felt like a grueling eternity, a man dressed all in white stepped out of the back door, pulling off his surgeons mask.

"Mr. Pinciotti?" He asked after a long, tension filled minute. Eric leapt up from his seat, practically shaking as he asked, "Yes! I mean, Yes! I meant, is she okay?!"

The man in the white suit nodded, "You're partner is fine health. You may see her if you lik-"

The man wasn't even finished when Eric bulldozed his way passed him and straight inside the back nothingness of the door when-

**Fez's thoughts are interrupted.**

Colette interrupted skeptically, "Mr. Pinciotti? Why would he take her name?"

Fez attempted to explain, "Be-cause Eric is the boy and-"

Jackie interrupted him, "One would think that unless you actually met them."

Laurie, eating her mother's cooking, snickered, "Or _saw_ them."

Colette thought out loud, "Were they like, deformed or something because I don't seem to remember them the same way everyone else seems to."

Hyde, with a softened expression, told her, "Look, this is how we used to make fun of them. I mean, I've known Forman and Donna since they were little girls." Laurie patted his back, laughing, "Good one, stoner." Hyde continued, ignoring Kitty and Red's harsh glances, "Forman was a good guy, but he wasn't exactly the most masculine man in the room."

Fez added with a chuckle, "Even if da room was full of girls."

"What do you mean my baby wasn't masculine?" Kitty gasped, "All because he wore shower sandals and loved _ABBA's_ 'Dancing Queen', now everybody's a critic!"

"_ABBA?"_ Repeated Fez, "He loved _ABBA?!_ He never told me! Him, me and Jackie could've shared a record collection!"

"You mean to tell me that boy was still scared of touching the bottom of a bathtub, Kitty?! You told me he grew out of it!" Red barked.

Laurie only laughed, "What a loser." While Kitty's face deepened in worry, quickly realizing she said a bit too much information about Eric to the wrong group of people. All she could do was scoot her chair back, whispering, "Oh dear."

Hyde explained further, "He was so damn sensitive and emotional, though. It was like living with a whiny soap opera."

Laurie agreed, "He was such a girl." She picked up her voice slightly to continue with her impersonation of Eric, "I want everyone to love me because I'm mommy's favorite! I get a free car just because I'm the boy in the family! I have to kiss Donna's ass today because I'm so spineless! Boo-hoo me and my sad life! Let me just run away to Africa because I can!" She then lowered her voice to mutter darkly, "I can't believe he just blows off everybody to go to another country." She then asked out loud, "Seriously? Who does that?!"

Hyde made a face, reminding her, "Didn't _you_ do that? You took off to Canada in the 'Drunken Express'."

Laurie pointed her pinky at him, "Hey, I was finding myself. But Eric?" Laurie slouched in her seat, muttering, "He had everything his stupid, little world would want right here in this puke-hole." She then mumbled under her breath, "What's_ his_ excuse?"

Fez raised a hand, trying to draw back in their attention, "Which brings me back to my story, now, let uth listen to Fez."

**Back in Fez's thoughts:**

Eric ran into a room that looked surprisingly like a hospital quarters. And there, resting on the bed, was Donna. With flaming red hair, and glossy brown eyes-

**Fez's thoughts again being interrupted:**

"Brown eyes?" Jackie spat, "She had blue eyes, Fez!"

Kitty stood behind Laurie, who continued to eat, announced, "Really? I was convinced Donna had green eyes." She turned to her husband, asking seriously, "Don't redheads have green eyes?"

Hyde looked up at her, "No Mrs. Forman, Jackie's right, Donna had blue eyes."

Red eyed him suspiciously, "And how do you know this with so much accuracy?"

Hyde admitted without feeling, "Back in the day I had a thing for her."

Laurie looked at him, "Had a thing? You were in love with her!"

Kitty blinked, absolutely stunned, "Love?! With Donna?!"

"I was a stupid kid then," Hyde explained before gesturing at Jackie, "I even thought I was in love with _he_r."

Red rolled his eyes at Hyde, "You're a stupid kid now."

Fez then eyed Jackie, "And how did you know her eye color, _Ms. Corrector of Fez's story_?"

Jackie turned around, hissing at him, "Because I_ lived_ with her, you idiot! Or did you forget the nine and a half months I was a permanent resident of the Pinciotti's?"

Colette raised her eyebrows at Jackie, "You lived with her?"

Hyde, on the other hand, told Jackie, "Look babe, if you stayed there for only nine and half months, then you weren't a permanent resident."

Jackie narrowed her eyed at him, "Oh, you be quiet you thinker!"

Kitty told a shrugging Red, "I could've sworn she had green eyes…"

Fez shouted, "LISTEN!"

They all stopped talking and turned to him forcefully.

Fez sucked in his breath, continuing, "Anywho, as I wath saying before…"

**Back in Fez's thoughts…**

Eric ran into a room that looked surprisingly like a hospital quarters. And there, resting on the bed, was Donna. With flaming red hair, and glossy blue, possibly green but there also stood a good chance at being brown, eyes.

Eric ran to her side, rubbing his thick mustache against the crook of her neck-

**Another interruption **

Jackie folded her arms across her chest, telling Fez, "Eric? With a mustache? Yeah, like that could happen, and another thing…take him out of that ridiculous purple outfit and his fake furry chest! You act as though we've never met these people!"

Hyde agreed, "Yeah, Fez. What're you tryin' to do? Give us nightmares?"

Fez huffed, "Fine! Have it your way! Now shut it and let me finish!"

**Back in Fez; thoughts:**

Eric kissed the crook of Donna's neck with his soft, shaven chin before pulling away. Only to have Donna stare at him in disbelief, "Why're you naked?"

Eric looked down in horror, "Wha-?"

He was indeed in his birthday suit. He tried to cover himself with a nearby lamp, squealing, "Ohmygod!"

And Donna sat up, whispering harshly, "Shut up! You're gonna wake the-"

**Another interruption:**

"Eeew!" Jackie cried, "A naked Eric?"

Fez crossed his arms smartly, "You said you wanted him out of his purple, kick-ass get up."

Red pointed at the foreigner, "You cloth my son or so help me god, I'll nail you in a crate and personally ship you off to whatever backwards civilization wouldn't have you!"

Fez groaned, "FINE!"

**Back in Fez's thoughts: **

And Donna sat up, whispering harshly, "Shut up! You're gonna wake the-"

It was too late, a loud, piercing cry pierced their ear drums. Eric looked down momentarily, relieved and puzzled as to how he was wearing brown pants and a sweater vest, but he didn't care.

He immediately ran to Donna's side, asking her, "Do you want me to get the baby?"

Donna gave him a sheepish smile, "Yeah, about that…you mean _babies_."

Eric's eyes lit up, "Twins?!"

Another cry was heard…and then another.

Eric turned to the tiny white crib next to Donna with a puzzled expression, "Three cries?"

"Yeah," Donna nodded slowly, "Triplets….lots of pain from my end."

Eric just blinked in shock, "Tri-tri-tri-pletssssssssssssssssssss?"

All three babies continued crying their hearts out as Eric blandly turned to Donna, "So, do you want them so you can mother them and stuff? Since, you're like the girl and everything."

"Me?" Donna scoffed, "No, not me. I delivered them- I'm done."

"Done?" Eric repeated slowly, "But-but Donna, you can't be done! You're the mom, you're the chick! You need to nurse them!"

Donna only smiled at him, "_I'm_ the chick, Mr. _Pinciotti_? No, I don't think so. Maybe you should look again."

Eric blinked, and within a quick instant, he and Donna switched places. He was in the hospital bed of the white room, in a hospital gown while she was in a pant suit by his bed, her hair rolled up into a neat bun with '60s style glasses on the bridge of her nose. She winked at him, "Do me a favor and take care of the kids, babe."

Eric looked around the room wildly before trying to get up, "Me?! Donna, they're hungry! They want their mother!"

Eric got up from the bed and walked over to the crib, taking out a random baby and showing it to her, saying, "See this? It wants momma!"

But then, the baby turned its head at Eric, and with outstretched arms said, "Mom-ma."

Eric stared at the kid in horror as Donna went over to them, nodding, "I know they do, and their mother is right here." She gently pushed the baby into Eric's arms, smiling, "Do me a favor, and when you get home tonight, clean up the kitchen. The house looks a mess." She then turned on her heel and exited the room. Eric was in shock. He then shook his head, snapping back into reality and set the baby down next to his siblings in the crib before trying to run back to Donna, panting, "Wait! Donna!" But, as he was about to go out the door, a nurse came in, trying to push him back into bed.

"What?! No!" He shouted as the nurse wrapped the blankets around him, saying, "Your dominant spouse will be waiting for you at home to make her a sandwich, because we all really know who wears the pants in this relationship."

Eric cried out in pain, "NOOOOOOOO!"

**End of Fez's thoughts: **

"And, I think I will give him boobs." Fez finished, everyone watching him with gaping eyes and open mouthed jaws. Finally Hyde choked out, "Um…that was…extreme."

Colette bit her lower lip, saying, "So…_what?_"

Jackie turned away from Fez, "I have no comment on that scary yet possible outcome."

Laurie only smiled, "I have plenty."

Kitty kept blinking hysterically before she said, "Okay…someone has a very overactive imagination!"

Red only looked at Fez in disgust, "I don't want you to step foot in my house again, got it?"

Fez pouted, stabbing his fork into his eggs, "It was just a story of how Eric and Donna ended up, jeez. Everyone is so uptight."

Hyde stood up, his chair squeaking as he pushed it aside, "As much as I would love to hear Laurie's version of things-"

The blond woman narrowed her eyes at her foster brother, spitting, "I don't have a version, loser. Hell, I don't even care about them."

Hyde rubbed his belly indifferently, "Whatever. All I know is that I have to go into work in a bit." As he made his way to the sliding doors to exit, he turned back to everyone at the table, "I have a long day of telling my only two employees how to run the record store. Then I have an appointment…"

Everyone stared at him, expecting a sarcastic remark which he then granted when he smirked, "To play darts at _Charlie's_."

The second he was gone, Jackie mumbled under her breath, "Darts. So damn typical." She then sat up, pointing at the exit he just took, telling everyone, "This was always his problem! Steven was nothing more than some sort of attractive, underachieving oaf!"

Fez smiled, showing off his teeth, "I know, isn't the man great?"

Jackie then stood up, turning to Colette, "C'mon Lil' Jackie. We'll go shop at the mall to cure us from thinking about Steven."

Colette looked up at her, shrugging, "I was fine."

Jackie tugged at her arm, shaking her head, "No you weren't. Let's go!"

Jackie then pulled Colette outside the sliding doors, with the younger girl groaning, "I was drinking orange juice!"

As soon as they left, Red turned to face Fez who was pleasantly sipping a glass of milk. There was a quiet, tense moment with Red glaring at Fez but the foreigner didn't notice a thing. Both Kitty and Laurie stared at their husbands respectively until Red finally shouted at him, "Get the hell out of my house."

Fez agreed, "Okay, as soon as I finish breakfast."


	5. Kennedy

**CH.5 Kennedy **

Jackie pulled Colette's wrist, pulling her outside the Forman kitchen and onto the driveway. Colette had just enough time to close the sliding door before yanking her wrist out of Jackie's clutches, yelping, "Jackie! Yer hurting me!"

"I don't even have a strong grip, so pipe down." Jackie snapped.

Colette rubbed her wrist, grumbling, "Your nails were digging into my skin." She then looked up at the brunette who just kept pacing the driveway and running a hand through her hair. Colette stepped toward her, "Jackie? Are you nervous?"

Jackie waved a finger at her, faming confidence, "Jackie S. Burkhart is never nervous! Especially over some old flame who clearly hasn't changed a thing since we broke up!"

"Then why is your voice really high?"

She paused, rubbing her shoulders, "Stop analyzing me, Little Jackie. It's getting annoying."

Colette walked over to the parked station wagon in the center of the driveway, leaning on it, "Sorry. It's just that you-" Colette stopped in the middle of her sentence, her eyes glazing over the olive green station wagon. Jackie was too busy facing the Forman kitchen to notice Colette's suspicious eyes on the vehicle. After a moment of empty silence Colette turned away, chuckling a little, "Eric and Donna must be getting to me. I could've sworn this old jalopy dipped for a second. But, maybe it was just my body weight."

Colette stood straight up, facing the vehicle with an amused face, "Maybe ghosts are in our mist, eh?" When she didn't hear a reply, she turned back to the ex-cheerleader, "Jackie?"

Without turning around, the brunette said, "I'm just thinking, Little Jackie." She sighed, "When I was a kid, I was so sure I would be a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader."

And then the station wagon definitely sprang by itself, and Colette could feel a chill go down her spine as she was positive it couldn't be blamed on her body weight this time. She stepped back, saying in a shaky voice, "Uh….Jackie? Something weird is going on over here."

The brunette ex-photographer looked up at the sky, not paying attention to what was happening behind her, "It's so strange how fast the time goes by. One moment you're four, the next fourteen, and before you know it you're hitting twenty-four."

The station wagon was silent for a moment, but suddenly Colette found herself growing very suspicious that her and Jackie were not the only two there in the driveway.

With a rush of adrenaline Colette dove toward the vehicle, diving inside the open window in the driver's side. With her legs sticking out, she was forced to pick herself up using her arms. She crammed her neck to see someone, just one person, climb out of the hatch from the back end of the Cruiser.

Jackie kept going on, "If this were the 1800s I'd be considered an old maid."

Colette kicked her way back out the window of the car, plopping on the hard cement on her rear end. But she didn't waste any time grumbling about it but shot up like an arrow just in time to see the lone occupant from the station wagon run into the open garage.

Hearing all the commotion had Jackie squint her eyes, turning around, "Little Jackie? What are you doing? Are you even paying attention?! My story has a moral at the end!"

Colette ran inside the garage after the person. Whoever they were they paused for a minute, the sunlight from the backdoor of the garage leaking out and illuminating the figure but darkening their face in the process. Colette didn't move an inch and tried her best to memorize every detail about this person- this woman.

But as soon as Jackie's clacking heels were heard entering the garage, the woman darted away. Jackie's screeching voice could be heard overhead, "What are you doing?!" The brunette placed her hands on her hips and pointed at the open hatchback of the station wagon, "Playing games, I see?"

Colette ran after woman but was discouraged when she realized the backdoor in the garage led to an empty alleyway. She heard Jackie's irritated voice, "Little Jackie, enough. Mr. and Mrs. Forman don't appreciate people just rummaging through their garage."

Colette jogged back to Jackie, panting, "Someone was here!"

Jackie nodded as she closed the hatchback, "Yeah, you and me."

With adrenaline coursing through her Colette shook her head, holding in a thundering scream, "Jackie! Listen to me! Someone, somebody, a _woman_, was here! She-she was in the station wagon! I think she was hiding! And, she was trying to get away; she _did_ get away!"

By Jackie's face one could easily tell she wasn't buying the story, "You weren't spiking Mrs. Forman's orange juice by any chance?"

"I'm not making this up! You saw it, you had to have!" Colette told her, pointing at the backdoor of the garage, "She was real!"

Jackie waved her hands in the air, "The only thing I saw was you running around the garage like a lunatic."

Colette opened her mouth to say something but Jackie cut in again, "And no, I did not see a mystery woman."

Struggling with the urge to scream, Colette threw up her arms, desperate for Jackie to believe her, "She was _right there_! I saw her! I could've chased her down if your shrill screaming hadn't scared her away!"

Jackie shook her head, motioning for the impulsive teenager to follow her, "I told you we need to go to the mall to get our minds off of Steven."

The twenty-three year old headed for her car, a powder blue Mustang, calling out for Colette, "Let's go." But Colette kept staring at the driveway with a baffled expression on her face. How could Jackie not believe her? She had to have seen her. And the teenager's overactive mind began to wonder if Jackie herself was somehow involved. Colette pointed at Jackie, examining her with distrusting eyes, "How do I know you didn't see her? Maybe you did. Maybe you knew she was there all along!"

Jackie was already irritated by Colette playing detective and placed her hands on her hips, cocking her head to one side angrily, "Uh-huh, you're crazy. I want to go to the mall so we can spend quality sisterhood bonding, not inspect the Forman's driveway for some goon who doesn't exist."

Colette shook her head, not trusting a word that came out of Jackie's mouth, "How can I tell if you're telling the truth? Maybe you're covering for her!"

Jackie was holding back a terrible scream. If this were seven years back and Colette was Michael Kelso, she'd drag her by the ear until it turned purple. If this were six years ago and the sneaker wearing teen was a rebellious, curly haired stoner, she would've kicked his shins and demanded that he listened to her. And if this were five years ago and Fez was the problem in front of her, she'd twist his nipples and tell him that's what he got for opposing her. But none of those boys were in front of her today. Colette was.

Jackie couldn't take it any longer and shouted, "I don't even know how you're illusion looked like!"

Colette said almost immediately, "I think she had blond hair-"

Jackie cut in sharply, "Oh, so you're not even sure, Laura Holt?! Would you like to consult with Remington Steele?"

With much more confidence than before Colette said loudly, "I _**know**_ she had blond hair!"

Jackie rolled her eyes, waving her hand at the girl, "Oh, so now you _know _when before you _thought_."

Colette tried not to let Jackie get to her as she continued, "And she had broad shoulders!"

When Colette said the last sentence Jackie paused for a second, saying out loud and to herself, "Donna?"

As soon as Colette heard Jackie say the name she jumped up, "Ah ha! So you admit it was Donna!"

Jackie shook her head, dismissing everything, "The only thing I admit is that you have lost it. I don't know what you're talking about and _if_ Donna came back to Point Place, the first thing she would do is contact me."

"So she contacted you?"

Jackie turned around, groaning, "Gah! You are worse than Michael and Fez combined!"

Jackie began walking away from her and started toward her car, parked in front of the Forman's house. But Colette refused to be left behind twice and was right on her heels, asking questions that annoyed Jackie to no end.

As soon as the pair made it to the front of the house, they went directly to a baby blue mustang with two white racing stripes sliding along from the trunk to the hood. It was the same one Jackie's father had given her for a birthday gift all those years ago, and it was kept in amazing condition. The tires had shiny new rims, and not one was flat. The paint job was impeccable, not a chip or scratch on it. The interior had newly upholstered white leather in addition to glossy pink dashboard and steering wheel. The glass from the windows had been shined, prepped, and tinted. Everything about it was beautiful, except the yellow ticket on the windshield wiper.

Colette kept rambling on, "I think you knew Donna was coming back! 'Cause as you said, if she were coming back she'd contact you first! Maybe she was supposed to be meeting Eric at that station wagon! I don't know why there instead of another location, but maybe they were meeting there!"

Jackie pulled out the ticket and quickly scanned it.

Colette continued, "Maybe she didn't want us to know about it! I mean, think about it, everybody knows that the Pinciotti house has been empty since the Hollister's moved out over a year ago! Maybe she's secretly living in there like a hermit!"

Jackie finally lost it and snapped, "Will you shut up?! I've got a ticket here!"

"For what?"

Jackie read it, saying lowly, "I don't know…wait. It says I…parked near a hydrant?" She resisted the urge to rip up the ticket and looked around the sidewalk by her car, "What hydrant?!"

Colette pointed at the green one by the rear tire, "That one."

Jackie saw it and angrily professed, "That's a hydrant?! Come on! It's green! Hydrants should be painted red, everyone knows that! I thought it was a small garbage can! They can't give me a ticket for something this stupid!"

"_Yes. We can." _

Jackie spun around to see a dark, middle aged man with a heavy mustache, reflective aviators, and wearing the sharpest police officer's uniform in the county. And even though his silver nametag on the right side of his pressed, blue, buttoned down shirt said his name, Jackie needed no introduction.

"Officer Kennedy." She grumbled, resisting the urge to roll her eyes.

The man smiled cynically, "Well, well, well…if it isn't Miss Jaqueline Beulah Burkhart? You're back in town again, huh?"

Colette was confused, "Beulah? But I thought your middle initial was an 'S'?"

Kennedy laughed much to Jackie's irritation, "Still with that same story, huh?" He then looked passed Jackie to tell Colette, "This one was so ashamed of her middle name she printed up so many shirts announcing false initials that read _JSB_. She tells everyone that _that's_ her name."

He then looked down on Jackie, "When are you going to grow up?"

Jackie did her best to act casually, looking up and smiling likeably, "Still upset that Michael burnt down the Police Academy, huh?"

At the sound of Kelso's name, Kennedy shivered, "Don't you dare bring up that disgrace of the badge!" His eyes suddenly darted around as he mumbled, "He's not back in town, right? I'd have to warn the volunteer fire department to start taking double shifts again."

Jackie's temporary amusement faded when she sighed, "No, he's not here." She then turned her attention to the ticket, "And about this- I should get let off with a warning or something."

Kennedy laughed right in her face, "Warning? You used all your warnings up! You were part of a tiny band of juveniles who tormented the town every chance you could get! You vandalized the water tower, toilet paper tee-peed Mr. Wilkinson (the music teacher's) house and you threw a keg party in an empty pool that belonged to the house your mother was showing for her real-estate office! Do you know how many bribes my office took from your father to keep your tiny butt out of jail! And I don't even want to think of all those misdemeanors we let slide. But now guess what; daddy's out of the picture. And now there is nothing holding back the strong arm of the law from taking you in. And since you're an average, ordinary citizen now-" Officer Kennedy smiled like a fat cat, "-you are treated like an _average, __**ordinary, **__**citizen.**_"

Jackie narrowed her eyes, "You can't prove I did any of those things."

Kennedy asked quickly, leaning forward, "Is that a dare?"

Colette quickly got between the two, using her body as a buffer, "Okay, so how about them Packers? Looks like it's gonna be a winning season!"

Kennedy straightened up, Colette's face familiar to him, "And who are you supposed to be?"

Colette tried unsurely, "Uh…a close family friend?"

Kennedy made a face, as if deciding whether or not Colette was a threat before fixing his badge and belt, "You look like a young lady who has had a few run-ins with the law herself. And I wouldn't be surprised if you were, hanging around with _that_ one." He gestured toward Jackie with his head quickly before saying arrogantly, "But remember Bobby Fuller, ladies. He fought the law, and the law won. And in Point Place, Wisconsin- I am the fearless law."

As he was about to leave, he pointed at the ticket Jackie still held tightly in her hands, "You can show up to court if you want to fight it, but I don't think it'll work since Judge Jenkins is the brother of the same judge who sentenced your daddy to ten years in the pen. You should probably just pay the money." His smile grew smugly, "Think of it as another donation to the force just like daddy would've done for you back in the day."

Colette folded her arms across her chest, muttering, "What a jerk."

Kennedy turned around, catching her slip, "What did you say, young lady?"

Colette coughed, "I said…_whatever_."

Kennedy marched back to the two girls, his full wrath now zeroed in on Colette, "Are you giving me lip?"

Colette held up her hands defensively, squeaking, "I was in the middle of my sentence- I swear!"

Kennedy stopped, demanding her to say the rest of her sentence right then and there so he could hear it better.

Colette turned toward Jackie for help, but the brunette was drawing blanks like her.

Colette stuttered, "Uh, well, I, er, um, ugh…"

Kennedy folded his arms impatiently, "Well…?"

Colette licked her lips nervously, "Whatever, whatever, whatever, whatever-" Her mind was desperate to think of something, and then her mouth did it for her, "Whatever happened to Eric and Donna?"

Both Jackie and Officer Kennedy stared at her in surprise. Kennedy then took in a breath, thinking about what she said, "Eric and Donna who?"

Colette quickly explained in a shaky voice, "Eric Forman and Donna Pinciotti! The two kids who used to live here. Well, Eric did. Donna, she lived next door and stuff."

Kennedy shrugged, taking off his officer's cap, to quickly wipe some sweat off his brow, "Oh, those two kids? I don't know. But I can say they seemed in an awful hurry to grow up. My brother Dan met them, said they wanted to get married but didn't even know why. Now who the hell doesn't know why they would want to get married? And then they lied to him about having sex. Said they never consummated their relationship and were as pure as saints. What a load of crap."

Colette and Jackie exchanged looks.

Kennedy continued, "They were just rushing everything. Accelerating it, if you will. But the problem with taking things fast is that even if you get to the fun parts first, you run the risk of using up all the time you have. And then you have nothing but a broken heart and some memories."

Colette asked slowly, "So you think they're separated?"

Kennedy said gruffly, placing a hand on his hip, "I'll tell you what I think…"

**Officer Kennedy's Thoughts **

It had been very sudden, like a twist a fate. Eric had gone back to Africa to finish up his term and had promptly came home. Or at least that was the plan until the plane he was on was forced to land in New Jersey. There was some engine trouble or something, and he found that he was relieved that the plane didn't explode in midair. However, he didn't want to step foot on another plane to head the rest of the way back home. So, he started taking the Greyhound buses and got as far as Michigan. He was tired of sleeping on buses and waking up to crying babies and with a pounding headache, so he decided to take up a small motel room in a desolate Michigan town and call his mother in the morning.

He had been thankful to sleep on an actual bed for the night. He had a TV and pondered flipping through the channels to see what could be on. But before long his growling stomach had him pull back on his trousers and jacket and fish around the town for a diner that would welcome a lonely traveler on his way home.

He found a small on called "Luke's". What attracted him was the name, as if the universe had been steering him there all along. So he took up a booth right by a window, eagerly flipping through the menu until deciding on a burger. He had been away at Africa for so long, he almost thought he'd forgotten how good a hamburger tastes.

So he sat at that booth, rubbing his greasy fingers from the French fries when someone came in from behind him. He didn't really get a good look on whoever it was, but it was a woman with long blond hair and a black coat that cut off on the back of her knees. She took her place in a neighboring booth a table away from him. The back of her head was to him the entire time, but he just couldn't stop staring at her, wondering if it could be Donna.

Unfortunately she must've felt his eyeballs on her because she turned around.

It wasn't Donna.

He then asked for his check, paying everything in full. He hadn't really been paying attention to the waitress until he looked up at her to hand her a tip. She had the brightest red hair he had ever seen- but it still wasn't Donna.

As he walked back to his motel, he knew it was wrong of him to pine for her so much. After all, they could've married but he left. And she stayed back from school for him, and he still left. All he did was keep leaving and breaking her heart. He hated himself for it and knew it was wrong to keep wanting her, to keep from holding her back.

As he passed the desk of the motel he was staying, he saw the manager arguing with someone. He didn't pay any attention to their screaming though. All he could focus on was Donna, and how he let her go.

He was still lost in his thoughts as he reached his door. He took out the key, fishing for it in his pocket for a while until finding it. And that was when he heard the manager shout, "How many times do I have to tell you! You can't go in there! It's for lodgers only!"

He turned around to see the person the manager was talking to rush to the laundry area before coming back out and making her way to another area.

For a second he thought his eyes were playing tricks on him as he said the only name he could think of, "Donna?"

He wasn't that near her, but she still heard his voice. Immediately her head perked up, her eyes zeroed in on him and she walked toward him in a very fast pace. The manger nearly had a heart attack from all his screaming at her, but she didn't care. She ran right up to Eric and….and slapped him right across the face.

He toppled to the ground, trying to catch his breath.

The manager pointed a finger at Donna, saying to her, "I'm calling the police on you!"

The young woman with flaming red hair narrowed her eyes at the little man, "Fine. Do it. And see if they're here in time to stop your murder." She then focused her attention on Eric, now in the process of standing up, "And You!" She placed her hands on her hips, shrieking, "Everybody was worried sick about you! We were all waiting at the airport until we found out that your flight was forced to land! You should've seen your mother! She was so upset she downed three margaritas before breakfast! And then we were so sure you'd arrive on another flight- but you never did! Your dad is at your house right now trying to figure out where you disappeared off to so he can kick your ass!"

Eric grabbed his jaw, trying to explain, "I was going to call!"

"When?" She demanded, "Because it's been two weeks since you were supposed to be back in Point Place. Right now we are all scouring Wisconsin for your skinny butt. And I should be in school, Eric. Not in the middle of Michigan, getting into a brawl with a pint-sized manager from small-town USA."

Eric didn't know what to say. H let his jaw hang limply for a second before mumbling, "I…I thought about you."

Her eyes softened for a moment but immediately hardened when she noticed a red stain on shirt.

"Is that lipstick?" She demanded.

Eric looked down, confused about what she was talking about before looking back up, desperately explaining, "No! I- it's ketchup! I-I was at a diner earlier to go grab a bite to eat and I accidently spilled some on me!"

She narrowed her suspicious eyes at him, "Are you sure?"

"Yes!" He squeaked.

She then pointed at his motel room with her thumb, "Is this your room?"

Eric nodded, afraid to say anything more. She then sighed, "Okay, grab your stuff. I'm taking you home."

Eric blinked awkwardly, "But-But I wanted to sleep in a bed tonight."

She stared at him for a moment before asking, "When was the last time you did?"

"It's been awhile Donna." He moaned, "I just wanted one night…I'm tired of getting passed out in vehicles. My neck still hurts from last night on the bus."

She seemed to be in the middle of an internal struggle before she agreed, "Fine. You can stay here tonight, but tomorrow morning at six sharp, you're coming with me."

And before his mouth knew what it was doing he blurted, "You wanna stay with me?"

She tried to resist the urge of shoving him back in the room and only commented, "Aren't you a little too old to be afraid of the dark?"

Eric smiled, a hand on his bruised jaw, "You need to make it up to me since you punched me."

"I slapped you."

"That was a slap?"

She rolled her eyes, smiling despite herself. Eric then cleared his voice, "Well, it was a mighty powerful slap."

She then looked back up at him, admitting, "It's a tempting offer Eric,"

Eric looked down, "I sense a _'but'_-"

She continued, "But, we just got out of a really long relationship. It wouldn't be fair to either of us we just hook up- even for tonight. And if we did, where would it stop? Next week? Next year? Could either one of us start a meaningful relationship with someone else if we kept just…_y'know_. Doing _'It'_."

In the background they could hear the manager scream about how the phone was disconnected. Donna looked like she was trying hard not to smile about that which had Eric wondering for a second if she did something to the wires, but then he focused on their conversation again, trying not to sound too bitter, "I guess. It's just, it's hard. I wake up sometimes and I have to remember we're not together."

"You are the one who decided that- not me." She reminded coldly.

They both awkwardly stared at the space around one another until Eric let out a breath, "I ruined it, didn't I?"

Donna shook her head, "You didn't ruin anything, Eric. Our relationship, us, we were spent up anyway. There wasn't much left we could do short of getting married and having kids. And that was where we differed. So, we just kept recycling our feelings because we knew that if we ever talked about it, we would be over. Our common ground would be gone."

"I wouldn't mind getting married and having a few kids. Like, like three or something." He mumbled, hoping she'd share his sentiments. But she smiled sadly at him, "You know that's not what I-" She was about to say "want" but stopped. She took in a long breath, saying instead, "One day I hope you do."

She rented out another motel room, threatening the manager if he refused to rent one out to her. She wasn't that far away from him, but it didn't matter. Because in the morning she was gone. She disappeared, as if she was never there. And Eric almost went crazy tearing the whole town apart to find her.

He never did.

And too this day he's still out there, looking for, refusing to come back home until he found her.

**End of Kennedy's Thoughts**

Officer Kennedy finished, "She left because she knew that if she didn't, he would always be after her and probably never find happiness because they wanted different things out of life. That's why they broke up. She was giving him a shot to find it with someone else. But what happened was the skinny fool was so obsessed with her that he is still out there, trying to find her. And I just threw in the arresting bit 'cause I would love nothing more than to book the six amigos in for _something._"

Colette started thinking about it, "So, like I said earlier: they're separated."

Jackie smiled warmly, "You know what should be separated?" She handed the ticket over to Kennedy, "This ticket. Would you do the honors?"

Kennedy began to laugh, "Good try, but no cigar."

Jackie then looked around the empty street, "How did you even get here? I don't even your cop car here to help tip me off to your presence."

Kennedy grumbled, "First off, it's called a police patrol vehicle. Second of all, because of your little friend Kelso, some trouble-making kid played stowaway in my squad car! Now the kid was taken care of as she should've been. A wild little beast that she turned out to be, kicking and screaming and telling us her 'big sister' was going to go after her." Kennedy lifted up his belt, "We were forced to lock her up! Show her how animals are dealt with! And in the end it didn't matter because we found that the kid came from a broken home, with four brothers. She didn't have a sister." Kennedy continued, "Anyway, a few months later, when the town council was told of the embarrassing goof, they told the Chief they wanted something done about me and Kelso. But what happens? Kelso was let go with a warning because he was a rookie! And me? What did they do to me?! They stripped me of my vehicle and made me into a beat cop."

Jackie couldn't believe it, "You locked up a kid?"

Kennedy shook his head, "Not me. That order came from a higher up."

Jackie spewed in disgust, "You talk about Michael being a disgrace to the badge but you…you let a kid get locked up!"

Officer Kennedy grabbed his gut, "Look, don't pin this on me. I am a God fearing man who believes in the good book-"

Jackie narrowed her eyes, looking at his stomach, "The Good Book or a _Cook _Book?"

Kennedy continued, "The point is- it wasn't my decision! Why would I lock up a kid?"

Jackie yelled at him, "Well, my point is that you let it happen!" She let her hand slap the officer as hard as it could, shouting, "And that's** not** for the ticket!"

Colette jumped back a little, surprised Jackie stood up for her. But she could only say in shock, "You just assaulted a police officer."

Officer Kennedy rubbed his cheek, letting Jackie walk away as she said over her shoulder to him, "I know daddy isn't around to protect me anymore, but I promise that if you lock me up I'll do more than kick and scream."

Both girls got in the Mustang, Jackie itching to speed away. Soon the ignition was on and they were off on their way to the mall. And from far away Kennedy could see the driver's hand stick out of the window and let something fly out into the air. Eventually a wind picked it up and blew it over to the top of Officer Kennedy's polished shoe.

It was a police ticket.

* * *

_**James Avery was a favorite guest star of mine just because of Fresh Prince. And I also liked it when he kept catching the guys breaking into the Police Academy when Kelso thought he was "The Stooge." Best line ever, from Eric, "How do you keep finding us? I'm wearing ALL black!" **_


	6. Macy

_**Long, but hopefully worth it. **_

* * *

**CH.6 Macy **

Jackie drove down Franklin, talking on and on until Colette finally interrupted her, "I don't believe you. You slap a cop for me, but you don't believe me when I tell you Donna was at the driveway!"

Jackie rolled her eyes, "For the last time, if you did see someone, it wasn't Donna. Maybe, maybe it was cat."

Colette made a face, "Cat? You think I've mistaken a cat for a full grown person?!"

Jackie stopped at a red light, rubbing her temples, "I don't know what you saw, but I can honestly tell you it couldn't have been Donna."

Colette slumped in her seat, groaning, "How can you be so sure?!"

Jackie told her loudly, "Because she would've called me. We would've made plans."

Colette sat back up, remembering, "Speaking of plans, that cop has got it in for you and the six amigos."

Jackie told her bluntly, "I am one of the six amigos, and don't worry about him. Officer Kennedy tells everyone he's going to throw the book at them but he never does. He threated Michael several times about shoving him off the Police Force, and in the end it was the Chief who dismissed Michael."

"The Chief?" Colette repeated, "Why does that title sound so familiar?"

Jackie explained, "He's a higher up who likes toying with people. I remember daddy always offering him bribes and-"

She remembered with Kennedy had said earlier. A _higher up_ wanted to teach Lil' Jackie a lesson by placing her behind bars.

Jackie finished slowly, "I never cared for him much."

The light switched back to green.

Jackie then continued driving in silence, occasionally taking in glimpses of Colette. The teenager was really quiet, perhaps lost in her own thoughts. Jackie continued down Wilhelm Boulevard, asking Colette curiously, "Do you have a boyfriend?"

Colette shrugged, "No." She then turned toward the young woman next to her, "Why?"

Jackie herself shrugged, "I dunno. I guess I'm just trying to get to know you a little better."

"Why?"

Jackie gave another short shrug, "Because I just do."

Colette turned away from Jackie to see the town passing before her out in the window. After light pause, she turned back to Jackie, telling her, "I'm the middle child. I have two older brothers, and two younger brothers. My older brothers are 19 and 22. They still live with my mom, which wouldn't piss me off if they went to school or something. Collin, the 19 year old, he works part time at a Car Wash. And I guess he's okay. And my oldest brother, Clint, sleeps all day long, saying he's writing a novel. He doesn't even have the title worked out. I just wish they wouldn't let their girlfriends stay over with us. All they do is eat our food, talk down to us, and laze around the house. And my little brothers aren't really that much younger than me. Carl is almost fifteen and Colby is thirteen, both are morons. They mean well, but I wouldn't trust them."

Jackie looked over the steering wheel, asking, "So, your dad…"

Colette smiled sadly, "Ah, him. He left us. I guess the stress of five kids drove him up a wall or something."

Jackie had to say something, "But back then, you said the police arrested him."

Colette raised her eyebrow, "They did. Arrested him for getting drunk and disorderly. But he came back after a few months, and _then_ he left."

Colette then turned her body toward Jackie, "But enough about my wonderful life, what about you? Why is your dad in the pen?"

"Embezzlement. Bribery. Black mailing. All those white collar crimes." Jackie then shrugged, pretending it didn't bother her, "Nobody's perfect."

Colette sighed, slumping in her seat, "So why we going to the mall again?"

Jackie informed her, "To treat ourselves to some pedicures, new clothes-"

"With what? I don't have any money."

Jackie smiled, "I'll treat."

Colette reminded her, "You don't have any money."

Jackie pointed at her sharply, "Stop that. Nobody likes the truth."

Colette sat back up, saying, "I'm just glad you're not making me sort your pictures in order of cuteness again."

Jackie snapped her fingers, "That was a privilege."

She then pulled into the parking lot of the mall. As she turned off the ignition, she faced Colette, telling her, "Okay, here's the plan: We go in, look around, act like we have money, and then leave."

"Who _acts_ like they have money?"

"Politicians." Jackie tartly answered, "Now let's go."

::::::

They were sitting at the food court after a mere ten minutes of glancing at the shops. Apparently shopping wasn't much fun if you didn't have any money to buy anything. Both Colette and Jackie sat by a small, red table. Colette bought a gumball in a little machine for 25 cents- but that had long since gone. And then there was Jackie, currently sitting next to her, checking her reflection in her small portable mirror.

Colette blandly said, "Oh, yeah. I'm having loads of fun."

Jackie handed her the mirror, "Here."

Colette looked over the mirror, "What am I gonna do with this? Stare at myself?"

Jackie narrowed her eyes, "No. You are going to hold it while I reapply my make-up."

"Why can't you just do that in a restroom like regular people?"

Jackie jumped back as if that statement was the most horrifying suggestion in the world, "Jackie S. Burkhart is anything but _regular_."

Colette mumbled sarcastically, "Someone's not into themselves…"

"Hold the mirror." Jackie commanded, lifting up an arm. Colette groaned but did as she was told. While Jackie reapplied her make-up in the center of the food court, Colette's brown eyes slowly glazed over to a teen outlet called- _Teen's Cove_. She would never admit it to Jackie or anyone else for that matter, but if she had her own money, she would go over there and buy a cute new blouse or some white jeans. But she didn't work. Her mother specifically told her not to because she didn't want her daughter to get wrapped up in a job and have her grades suffer. All her mother ever talked about was saving enough money to send her to a good college, maybe even U of W.

"You like the clothes over there, huh?"

Colette snapped her eyes back to Jackie, coming out of her thoughts, "Wha-?"

Jackie redid her eyeliner, telling her, "I saw you staring over there. Why don't we go over and check it out. It'll be fun."

Colette immediately shook her head, "I don't think so. I mean, what's the point? I couldn't afford anything over there anyway."

Jackie paused in what she was doing to tell Colette, "Little Jackie, it's like a relationship."

Colette's eyebrows tensed in confusion, "What now?"

Jackie clarified, "Life is like a relationship. Even if you can't afford certain luxuries or you've already been spoken for, there's no harm in looking."

Colette's mouth fell, "Jackie, what you just said describes cheating."

Jackie dismissed what she said with a wave of her hand, "I did not say that. And neither will you. Cheating in unforgiveable." And tonelessly she concluded, "And anyone who does cheat should never be trusted again." And just like that she snapped out of it, placing her make-up back in her bag, saying cheerfully, "C'mon. Let's go check out the skirts and see if the new leotards is in."

Jackie got to her feet, swiping the mirror from Colette before walking over to the teen store outlet. But Colette wasn't as enthusiastic. She chased after the older woman, shaking her head nervously, "Please Jackie, stop! I-I don't want to look at leotards or anything! It's not worth it!"

Jackie spun around, confused, "Why not?" Colette tried to say something, but couldn't find the words to say it. And right then, three preppy girls with long legs, tans, and high pitched voices entered the shop. The three of them mingled with each other, flirted with the cashier and even laughed at the "ugly" people that walked passed them. Jackie didn't mind them at all.

Colette, on the other hand, wanted nothing more than to be invisible.

Jackie had dragged Colette into the small store, laughing the confidant way her mother had taught her, "Oh. Those blouses over there look nice."

The cashier was right by the entrance. He was a boy Colette had known in school. He was dark hair, dark eyes, and a face covered in blemishes. As soon as Jackie and Colette had entered the shop, he smiled at them. The seventeen year old in dirty sneakers and khakis didn't know what to say or do. A boy had never smiled at her before.

Jackie caught the way he gave them a short wave and pulled Colette behind a rack of jackets. Colette rubbed her wrist, mumbling, "How many times are you going to sink your claws into me?"

Jackie didn't pay attention but smiled, "So who's the cashier?"

Colette played stupid, "What Cashier?"

Jackie giggled, patting her arm, "The one who keeps staring at you from afar."

Colette shrugged, "I dunno."

Jackie laughed, "What do you mean 'you don't know'? I saw him staring at us the second we came in."

Colette averted her eyes from Jackie, "Look, he sits in front of me in study hall, but that's it. I don't know him."

Jackie raised her eyebrow, not believing her, "Really? He waved at us."

Colette rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly, "Jackie, please…I don't really want to get involved with anything or one."

Jackie cocked her head to one side, feeling like a teenager all over again, "What's his name?"

Colette shook her head, noticing the three girls trying on heels and laughing with one another. With knots in her stomach Colette shook her head, whispering to Jackie hoarsely, "Trust me- This is a disaster waiting to happen. Please, I don't want anything from here, boys included."

"What's his name?"

Colette rolled her eyes, admitting, "Harold."

Jackie blinked, "Harold?"

Colette explained, "Harold McGee. His mom is a Math teacher for sophomores."

Jackie turned Colette around, patting her shoulders, "Okay, now that's not so bad. He's kind of cute in a way. Now, all you have to do is go over and ask him out."

Colette turned back around to face Jackie, shrieking, "I can't ask him out!"

"Why not?" Jackie challenged, "Don't you find him cute?"

Colette said very speedily, "I find him very cute but that's not the problem. He probably won't even like me. I saw him before we came in here from the glass windows- he was with some other girls."

Jackie tried to calm her fears, "Who? The cheerleaders? No problem. He's not their type. They want football players, basketball players, wrestlers- not skinny, dark haired boys with blemishes, zits and braces. They were just being nice to him to get a discount."

Colette sheepishly looked away from everything, "I'm not like you. I can't just confidently walk over there and sweep some poor, unsuspecting fool off his feet." She then looked up, "I don't want to put myself out there and then get rejected."

Jackie let out a sigh. She then pulled Colette close to her and looked her in the eye, "He likes you. He was eyeing you the whole time we came in here. And all you have to do is believe in yourself and stop doubting everything. Just go over there, ask him how he is, and come back with his number, got it?"

Colette twisted her lips, "You really think he'll like me?"

Jackie assured her, "Of course! You are Little Jackie after all."

Colette took a deep breath, peeking over at Harold from behind the rack of Jackets, "Okay. Okay, I'll do it."

Jackie clasped her hands in giddy excitement as Colette took a hesitant step forward and from behind the rack of jackets. As she approached him, Jackie tried not to pay attention to the cheerleaders who were in the aisle right next to her, whispering excitedly about the upcoming Prom. Instead she focused on Little Jackie, whispering, "Oh, take your hands out of your pockets!"

It was as if Colette heard her even though she was fifteen yards away, and took out her hands from her pant pockets as she unsurely approached the counter.

As soon as she reached the counter, all she wanted to do was turn around and run away. However her lead lined feet weren't letting her do that. The boy looked over at her, smiling with a face full of metal, "Hi."

Colette kept nodding as she gulped, "Hey."

The boy put down the items he was holding and asked Colette, "So, are you gonna buy something?"

Colette looked around the counter quickly, saying with a thick tongue, "Uh, yeah. Yeah, I was just going to get, uh-" She reached over to the first package she saw on one of the display cases by him, not bothering to read what it was and really wishing she thought more about how exactly she was planning on asking this guy out. She threw the box on the counter, clearing her throat, "That. I was going to get that. Because it's special."

The guy looked at the box, surprised, "I bet it is."

Colette didn't like the look on his face and dared to ask, "What'd I get?"

Harold showed her the box.

Colette thought she was going to pass out. She twisted her lips again, saying slowly, "Condoms. Okay, I thought it was anything else."

Harold was about to ring it up, asking, "You don't want 'em?"

Colette shook her head, wanting to bury her head in the sand. She then cleared her voice again, now rocking herself back and forth on her feet, "Do you have gum or something?"

Harold nodded, going to the other side of the counter, "Sure. What flavor?"

"Um," Colette thought, "J-Juicy Fruit."

He turned around and pulled out a pack, telling her, "I like Juicy Fruit."

Too eagerly she agreed, "You do? Me too!"

Harold paused, staring at her strangely before Colette looked away, trying to act casual, "Y'know. It's cool and stuff. Like, brand name and everything. Yeah."

Harold rang it up, "One dollar." He then packaged the gum in a small, brown paper bag.

Colette nodded her head up and down repeatedly, fumbling through her pockets until she produced a crumpled one dollar bill. As she handed it over to Harold, it looked like he cringed, "Um, thank you for shopping at Teens Cove. Please, uh, come again?"

Colette took the small paper bag, shrugging her shoulders, "So, do you have any plans for like, next Saturday or something?"

Harold stared at her for a moment before smiling, "Um, no. Why?"

Colette started to look everywhere but at him as she started out, "Well, I, uh…if you're not doing anything, and I'm not doing anything then I thought-"

Harold raised his hand to stop her, smiling a knowingly, "Don't say another word. I saw you come in earlier and I think I know what you're going to ask." He soon pulled out a pen and paper and continued talking. Unfortunately, Jackie couldn't really hear or tell what was going on over there. Especially with three giggling teenagers by her, all in a deep conversation over someone named David Hasselhoff and how "absolutely hot" he was.

Who the hell was David Hasselhoff?

But in seconds Colette was walking slowly back to Jackie, staring at the paper in her hands. Jackie leaned forward, asking Colette giddily, "So? How'd it go with Harold? You two all set up for a romantic night out in the town for Friday? Or Saturday, I don't know how you kids do things nowadays."

Hollowly Colette held up the paper, "I got his number."

Jackie clapped, jumping up and down, "Good for you! See, I told you if you just had a little faith in yourself and some self-assurance you could win a fella!"

Colette narrowed her eyes before throwing crumpling the paper and throwing it in Jackie's face, "He thought I was asking him out for **you**. He's expecting a call from you pretty soon and he says he wants you to wear something pretty like-" She raised her voice, quoting him, "_Something risqué and what a real woman would wear, kid_."

Jackie stepped back, confused, "What?"

Colette groaned, "Do I have to spell it out for you? He wasn't interested in me. He never was. He was smiling and waving at _**you**_!"

Colette was about to walk away but Jackie pulled her arm, holding her back as she said, "Tell me what happened out there."

Colette rolled her eyes, "Before or after I tried purchasing a box of condoms?"

Jackie was shocked, "Why are you trying to buy that stuff? You're seventeen! Well," She stopped, thinking, "I know I used to do it by seventeen, but you shouldn't! You're just a kid!"

Colette groaned, trying to wiggle her arm away from Jackie. Jackie continued, loud enough for the girls in the other aisle to hear her, "The way to a boy's heart is not through his pants, Little Jackie!"

Colette's eyes widened, "Will you shuddup?!"

On cue the girls came out of the aisle to get a better look at Jackie and Colette. The one in the front with big blue eyes and dark hair stepped forward, smiling at Colette smugly, "Colette Ripley? What are you doing in Teen's Cove?"

Colette stopped. Her eyes nearly popped out of her head as she gulped in horror, "Oh no."

Jackie stood up straight, trying to get things straight, "Oh, wait. You know them? Are they friends or something?"

Colette shook her head, whimpering, "Um, we need to go, Jackie. Like, NOW."

The ringleader grinned, "Something like that. Me and Colette used to be bosom buddies, until…"

Jackie noticed the other two teens giggled while Jackie mumbled, "Until?"

Colette sighed, "Until my dad went to jail."

"And made bail on your family." The blue eyed girl finished, "So, you still around, Cauliflower?"

Jackie shook her head, "Actually, her name is Little Jackie."

Colette raised her hands, "In reality it's Colette, but look Gisele, I don't want a fight."

The girl ignored her and turned toward her pair of minions, "Let's go to another store, girls." She then turned back to Colette, looking her over, "This one has a wanna-be tainting the air."

While the three exited the store, they waved bye to Harold. Colette angrily focused on Jackie, "I told you coming here was a bad idea. The clothes here are for popular kids- and I'm not one. And picking up a boy was stupid! And that run in with Gisele and her minions was simply the cherry on top! I mean," She sarcastically cried out, "What a fan-tas-tic day!"

Jackie started to wring her hands, trying once more to calm down Colette, "Okay, Little Jackie, calm down. You're getting excited!"

Colette stepped back. Her face had this greenish color that indicated she was going to get sick. But she shook her head and asked Jackie lowly, "Just leave me alone. This day with you, today, this was a mistake. I'm sorry I wasted your time."

Colette ran out of the store, Jackie chasing after her. But Jackie did run back and banged on the glass window by Harold, scaring him. She shouted through it, "You missed out on a great girl!"

Harold raised his hands, saying through the glass, confused, "Didn't we set something up for Saturday?"

Colette slowed her pace down to fast jog with Jackie still at her heels, panting, "Little Jackie, look, this is my fault. I should've seen the red flags pop up when you told me his name was Harold. Rule number one from now on- don't date a Harold. Go for a Jake Bradley or Tommy Larkin."

Colette spun around, "I don't know who those people are!"

Jackie tried to explain, "Look, I know things seem bleak thanks to the cast from Ridgemount High, but girls like that don't have a future!"

Colette crossed her arms, unconvinced, "You mean cheerleaders. You mean girls who spread rumors about other girls. You mean girls who are just plain mean. Is that what you mean? Girls that you probably hung around with and more than likely were one yourself?"

Jackie laughed awkwardly, "Me?" She began twirling her hair, "Me like them?"

Colette waved her off, "I can tell by your high pitched voice you were so stop lying." Colette then started scanning the small outlets in the mall, saying to herself, "Forget what my mom says: I need a job. I need something to occupy my time, get my mind off of _school_ stuff."

Jackie told her, "Little Jackie, you have the rest of your life to get a dead-end job. What you need-"

Colette ran toward the first little outlet the caught her eye, saying over her shoulder, "I'm not anything like you Jackie. Okay? Listen, I'm not Little Jackie! I'm Colette and I'm getting a job because I need to support myself."

She ran up to the little place, right up to the woman standing with a tray of cheese sporting a medieval outfit and a bored face. Colette only had one thing to say, "Are you hiring?"

The blond woman said blandly, "Welcome to the Cheese Palace. I am the Cheese Maiden. Would you care for some cheese?"

Colette asked once more, "A-Are you hiring?"

The maiden continued, "We have quite the selection here at the Cheese Palace. They are Colby, Colby- Jack, Cream Cheese, Maytag Blue Cheese, Monterey Jack, Muenster, Pepper Jack, String Cheese, Swiss, as well as many other varieties from Europe."

"Um…", Colette didn't know how to respond, but Jackie did, "Remember what I said about those girls? Well, this is one of them."

The blond woman's eyes lit up with recognizably, "JackIe?" With instant rage she threw the platter of cheeses at Colette and Jackie, screaming, "You bitch! I can't believe you have the nerve to show your face back in this town!"

Colette, on the ground, screeched, "Who the hell is your friend?"

Jackie, scrambling to her feet, yelped, "Little Jackie- Pam Macy. Pam Macy- Little Jackie."

Pam Macy ran toward Jackie, tackling her back to the ground, screaming, "Michael Kelso was mine! I had him! I slept with him! He was mine! And yeah, he was a great screw, so imagine my goddamn surprise when he refuses me! He turns me down cold!" She crawled on top of Jackie, grabbing a chunk of her hair as she hollered, "I don't know why, 'cause I'm pretty good in the sack myself!"

Jackie screamed at Colette, "Don't just stand there! HELP ME!"

Pam Macy then lift up her hand and slapped Jackie across the face, screeching, "But he says he can't because he's a father now. Has some stupid little kid to look out for!" She tried to scratch out Jackie's eyes while Colette wildly searched for the tray, all the while clumsily stepping on cheese samples.

Pam Macy slapped Jackie again, but this time Jackie was able to cling onto her collar, and almost pull her to one side sloppily. This knocked Pam off her balance, falling backward. Colette found the tray which had flew under the counter. She immediately grabbed it, ran back to the spot Jackie was holding back Pam, and hit Pam Macy across the back of her head just as she was screaming, "And then I find out he purposed marriage to YOU! You of ALL people in the univ-"

That when Colette hit her across the back of the head. Pam mumbled something about cheese before falling forward and right on top of Jackie.

Jackie crawled out from under Pam, cramming her head to get a better look at Colette, "I told you not to get a job yet! See what happens?" She pointed at Pam, "Crazy people attack!"

Colette kept turning from Jackie to an unconscious Pam, freaking out, "What the hell was that about?!"

Jackie fixed her clothes, shrugging, "I lose track now days."

Colette almost dropped the tray, in shock, "I-I hit someone over the back of the head."

Jackie, checking herself in the reflection of the counter, told her, "Be careful. Pam's known for getting up faster than she lays down. That's usually how she makes her way over to the next guy."

They heard a groan from Pam, to which Colette raised the tray, ready to hit her again. And then Pam flipped herself over, her body now being supported by her elbows. She let out a sad groan, "I see your picking up strays again. What's a matter? Hyde got away from you?" She then started making her way up, mumbling under her breath, "Aint he the lucky bastard?"

As soon as Pam was to her feet, she tugged at the ends of her Cheese Maiden outfit, glaring at the brunette, "Who's your little friend? Eric's cousin or something?"

Colette waited for Jackie to signal her to put down the tray until she actually did it. Jackie then asked Pam sarcastically, "Cheese Maiden? I see you've finally made it, Pam."

Pam Macy rolled her eyes, saying, "I wouldda if I didn't drop out of school senior year. But, but it was just really hard and none of the teachers would sleep with me for a free A. Which isn't fair- Stacy Wannamaker had the principal wrapped around her short little pinky."

Colette sat down on the floor, trying to catch her breath. She still couldn't believe Jackie was attacked. She had a harder time believing she hit some girl she didn't know over the head with a cheese platter. Jackie noticed Colette staring at the tiles on the floor oddly and deliberately walked in front of her, shielding her from Pam's judging eyes.

Pam didn't notice- as usual.

Jackie then said sternly, "Look, are there any jobs available in this place?"

Pam nodded, picking up the pieces of cheese on the floor, "Yeah, mine in two weeks. I **hate **this shit hole." She then looked up, "Especially the boss. He's some creepy, little blond dude who talks about some brunette cheese maiden who 'got away'. All I can say is props to her. I hope she comes back to show me how she did it so goddamn easily."

Jackie couldn't help it, "Todd's still here?" She then nervously looked around the mall, "Where?"

Pam placed her hands on her hips, "Where's Kelso?"

Jackie snapped, "In Chicago with his daughter and her mother- where he's supposed to be at!"

Macy stopped, then asking, "What about Hyde? Kat Peterson told me was pretty good between the sheets, but then again..." She finished her thought with a giggle, "I never needed her to tell me any different."

Jackie resisted the urge to go across the mall to the gun shop, come back, and shoot Pam. She said instead, "He's in recovery- as in off limits."

Pam made a face, "In recovery of what?"

"Me."

Pam leaned against a wall, shaking her head at Jackie, "And I take it you're not going to let me even ask about Fez since you don't want me sleepin' around with any of your ex's."

"Damn right."

Pam then wickedly smiled, "Then what about Eric Forman? Shelley told me once in the third floor restroom that we was a superb kisser, but she couldn't find out any more the little boy was good at 'cause that giant moose he called a girlfriend walked in, threatening to kick her ass. And I remember Donna. She didn't win JV Wrestling trophies for just standing around and looking pretty."

Jackie huffed, "Don't insult Donna. _I _insult Donna. It's our thing. And she's not a moose, she's a lumberjack."

Pam laughed, "Does it matter? Her and Star Wars nerd aren't around I can tell you why."

Pam paused for dramatic effect before continuing, "There's a rumor floating around town…" Hearing that had Jackie throwing her hands in the air disbelief, "A rumor?! This isn't High School, Pam. I've grown up. I'm a new, evolved woman who does not feed on senseless gossip."

After a silent second passed, Jackie encouraged, "Well go on!"

Colette looked up at Jackie briefly, bit otherwise made no noise or movement.

Pam continued, "Like I was saying, there's this rumor…"

**Pam's Thoughts: **

She had gotten married very early, to her High School sweetheart. And they were happy, or at least they were in the beginning, when she first started out with the scrawny, little neighbor boy. But, in the end it no longer mattered because it was the end.

She had been in the kitchen, boiling some noodles since boiling things was the only thing she could ever successfully do when it came to cooking.

So she wasn't talented. So she wasn't a fancy chef. So, what? Not every woman was, it wasn't a requirement. So what if her and Eric alternated between macaroni, spaghetti, or take out? What if the only 'dessert' she ever made was Jell-O?

She had been staring at the boiling water, trying her best not to feel upset. And she knew it wasn't really Eric if she thought about it. He had been very reassuring and comforting toward her to the point it was suffocating. It was like drowning in a bottomless sea of cotton. He had told her that he didn't care if she couldn't cook, or if she was always running around everywhere at work and was too tired to clean their apartment.

The clear water in the pot bubbled.

But she didn't place the noodles in it, but kept thinking. She barely dressed up anymore. For her job she made sure she sported pant-suits and hair bun, but around the apartment she just wore flannel pajama bottoms and any T-shirt she found in the 'clean clothes' drawer. Sometimes she didn't even wear her shirts, but Eric's.

He didn't mind though. He was always right there, being the loving husband.

It was sickening.

She just wanted an argument or something, some sort of jarring emotion from him other than acceptance. She needed him to challenge her, for him to resist her, for him to oppose her in some way. She couldn't understand why she craved that so much. But, it was one of the things that had initially attracted her to Eric Forman.

He was so radically different than her, so neat and punctual that it got under her skin in a good way. And she didn't want to change that about him, because that's what kept her coming back.

She knew it was messed up. Maybe it was her parents constant fighting that triggered that inside her, the equating of unhappiness to happiness.

But in all honesty she didn't know what it was that made her that way. She didn't know why she needed that rush of angry adrenaline coursing through her veins to make love to him, to just slap him on any surface on the face of the earth and let him fulfill her deepest desires.

But he wasn't like her. He took fights to mean a fracturing in their relationship, so to "smooth" out the wrinkles and creases in it, he stopped standing up to her. He stopped taking the opposite side of her and sided with her on everything she did, every little thing she said, and even her plans. And the moment he started submitting completely she tried her best to rile him up, to get him angry, by saying horrible things to him, by doing degrading things in public, and making up the most outrages ideas for them to do. She thought for sure he would snap out of it and scream at her for being such a terrible person, and then she would pull him to the bedroom and let nature takes its course.

But he didn't object to anything she did.

Not one single thing.

He didn't even raise his eyebrow that funny way used to. He just went along with everything, giving her the impression that he just stopped trying. But in reality, he just wanted to calm everything down, not seeing he was silently hurting her.

And soon she did calm down. Too much. Her once powerful, burning flame was reduced to a small match and eventually his "soothing", "calming" waters extinguished her. She found herself trapped in a marriage that she opposed to from the very beginning and only agreed to because it was to him.

And everything about their relationship bothered her. It was just so boring and dull now. It was like eating dry oatmeal when one was used to a gourmet dinner. And things soon quickly spilled over to their sex life, or rather lack of it. She didn't even want to touch him anymore. And it made her guilty, but also somewhat sad. And if it wasn't his idea, Eric left it alone. And deep down it was killing him that she wasn't available to him anymore. But, they weren't fighting and he took it as a good sign.

The water from the pot was now bubbling, spilling over the edges. The sharp 'ssssss' snapped her back to reality. She quickly lowered the degrees of the flame and dropped in the noodles. While she was busy in the kitchen, the heard the front door unlock.

Her heart sank to her knees when she saw Eric happily step in, saying in an over dramatically cheerful tone, "How's my best gal?!"

She wanted nothing more than to walk right out the place.

Eric then stepped aside, saying once more, "Guess what, Donna!"

She couldn't help but roll her eyes.

He then opened the front door more, letting someone step inside as he announced, "I saw him roaming the complex!"

She looked up, not even having the energy to yell at him to shut up.

And then her eyes lit up for the first time in the longest time.

It was Hyde.

Apparently Eric had brought up their old friend from downstairs. And from the look on Hyde's face, it was apparent he was happy to see her as well.

Donna almost ran up to her old friend, saying happily, "Hyde! Oh man, I-" She looked down at her clothes and then back up to him, "I must look terrible."

But the curly haired man took off his aviators calmly, smiling, "Nah, man. You," He then cleared his voice strangely, "You look real good."

She smiled back at him, "Thanks, and you! Look at you. You look, you look pretty good yourself."

He shrugged, "You still look better."

She shook her head, half giggling, "Not as much as you."

Eric had caught the glimpses the two were sharing, and a part of him immediately wished he had never brought Hyde upstairs. Eric then clasped his hands together, saying a bit darkly, "Don't we all just look dandy?"

Hyde then turned his head to see Eric, almost as if he had completely forgot the other man was even in the same room with he and Donna. Donna then addressed her husband, "Eric, can you give me a second to catch up with Hyde?"

"No." The word was flew out of his mouth. But, after a moment of both Donna and Hyde staring at him oddly, he caved. He nodded, pointing at his and Donna's bedroom, "I'll just, I'll just slip into something."

As soon as he trudged his way out of the room, and closed the door, Hyde immediately asked Donna, "How's it goin'?"

Donna nodded, "Real good."

Hyde told her flatly, "You look like crap."

She closed her eyes, smirking despite herself, "Is it that obvious?"

Hyde leaned against the front door, asking her lowly, "What're you doing here, Donna?"

She smiled wearily, "In the beginning it was good. It was fun. And I didn't mind being his wife, but then…" She just let her sentence die off.

Hyde nodded, understanding, "Quick sparks put out fast." He then rubbed his curls, "Yeah, I remember. I guess it's something like Jackie. They just, y'know, pull you into a world of possibilities and what could be. They talk about marriage and kids and-"

Donna nodded slowly, finishing his thought, "-and how much they love you. And how they can tame you, and how you'll welcome the change in your life." She then looked him in the eye, "They promise domestication will make everything better. And then they have you, trapped in a kitchen, boiling noodles."

Hyde shrugged, "Forman just doesn't get it."

Donna sighed, sitting on a nearby stool, "He never will."

Hyde walked over to where she sat, his hands shoved in his pockets, "Look kid, you're not happy. You're in pain. I can see it. You're dying in this relationship, like how I was with the brat."

Donna looked up, trying her best to smile, "Where did it turn out all wrong, Hyde? We were happy back then."

Hesitantly he reached out to her, placing his hands on her shoulders to steady herself. And it happened. She never thought she would see the day when she'd welcome someone else's touch on her other than her husbands, but she did. And maybe she should've been ashamed of it, but the fact was she wasn't.

And he leaned in toward her, his baby blue eyes melting her heart, "Donna, I've been in love with you for a really long time. And I've been the good guy and stepped aside for Forman-"

She stared at him, feeling young again, "You didn't exactly step aside. You crashed our first date."

He chuckled, leaning in closer, "I know."

"You pulled the fire alarm when I was with Casey."

He nodded, "Forman told you, huh? Don't tell him, but he thinks I did it for him. But I didn't. I could live with you being with Forman, but I just couldn't stand the thought of you being with that slime-ball Casey Kelso. I mean, Forman is a better man than me. But Kelso's brother was just a jackass."

But Donna had only heard one thing. "Better?" She asked sharply, "Eric better?"

Hyde finished, closing the gap between their lips, "He is better, for starters he wouldn't dare kiss a married woman."

And with one fast motion, he was tenderly pressing his-

**Interruption **

"_**Stop It!" **_

Colette jerked her head to see Jackie, practically seething with anger and jealousy. Jackie was losing it and both Colette and Pam could tell. The ex-cheerleader fumed, "Steven would **never** go back to Donna!"

Pam cocked her head back arrogantly, "What? You don't like the way he's _recovering _in my story?"

Colette got to her feet, saying for the first time in a while, "Jackie, let's just leave."

Pam Macy grinned, "Yeah, leave. Mainly 'cause your too scared to face the truth- he's moved on from you. Just like Kelso has moved on from me. Face it _**doll**_, you and me are one in the same. We're just stepping stones."

Jackie shook her head, "We are nothing alike. You whored around with half the town-"

Macy countered, "You slept with half your friends."

Jackie bit her lip, hating that Pam was right. And then Macy gave a small shrug, "I didn't even get to the part where the do_** It**_ in the back seat of his El Camino." Colette had never seen anyone so red faced and glassy eyed as Jackie Burkhart at that very moment. And then Pam topped everything off with, "Just like how we did _It_ in the back of your daddy's Lincoln on Prom Night." Colette walked around Jackie, noticing her teeth and fists clenched tightly. Pam finally finished, looking over her nails lazily, "Yeah, I didn't really need Kat to tell me how great he was between the sheets since I knew myself. A personal experience, _before _you Jackie-cakes."

Jackie then calmly turned toward Colette, saying a too soothing tone, "Little Jackie, you might want to step back." She then turned to look Pam in the eye, "Because I'm going to mop the floor with Pam-cakes over there."

* * *

_**I was listening to SR-71's '1985' on a continuous loop when I wrote this. Could you tell? **_


End file.
